GREATEST credit to the English team.

It’s easy for winners to celebrate.

It takes courage and a lot of courage to cope with not winning. All the more so deeply distressing when a young man misses a penalty.

Greatest dreams and hopes dashed in a shoot-out in front of 60,000 Wembley spectators and millions watching and praying for a win on TV

So brave every one of the young men who stepped forward to take the shootout penalties – Harry Kane, Harry Maguire, Marcus Rashford, Jordan Sancho, Bukayo Saka. And England’s brilliant goal keeper Jordan Pickford who saved two Italian shots.

All of them heroes. All of them the greatest credit throughout the tournament to football, and our country.

And for those young players who did not score in the shootout, their manager Gareth Southgate missed in UEFA 96, and of all teams, against Germany.

Gareth is now a world respected manager.

We didn’t win the match but the team and manager have won huge admiration from the country. Well done England.

And that surely is what it is all about. Building teams, courage, and respect.

World cup next year. Maybe this time BCP can arrange the big screen in the central gardens.

JEFF WILLIAMS

Jubilee Road, Parkstone