Jose Mourinho questions why Manchester United star didn’t take penalty in England’s defeat to Italy

Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has questioned why England left-back Luke Shaw did not take a penalty in the Euro 2020 final against Italy on Sunday.

Gareth Southgate’s side took the lead on the night thanks to a stunning volley from Luke Shaw in just the second minute of the game.

Italy, however, fought back and scored the equalizer midway through the second half thanks to a tap-in from Juventus centre-back Leonardo Bonucci.

After playing out a 1-1 draw in regulation time, neither side could take the lead during extra-time, which meant penalties would decide the winner of Euro 2020.

England suffered heartbreak due to penalties at an international tournament once again as Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka could not convert their spot-kicks.

Several fans and pundits questioned the decision to let 19-year-old Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka take the game’s deciding penalty.

The youngster has been sensational for England at Euro 2020 but does not possess the experience required to take what was arguably the most important spot-kick in England’s football history.

Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane slammed Raheem Sterling and Jack Grealish for not mustering up the courage to take a penalty.

Jose Mourinho added Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw to the list of players who should’ve stepped up to take a spot-kick for England on the night.

“In this situation, where was Raheem Sterling? Where was John Stones? Where was Luke Shaw? Why didn’t Jordan Henderson or Kyle Walker stay on the pitch?,” Mourinho told talkSPORT.

“Because in reality it’s very, very hard for Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho to come and take a penalty after one touch on the ball. But for Saka to have the destiny of a country on his shoulders… I think it’s too much.

“We can speak about the previous days and how they were amazing at taking penalties, but the problem with penalties is it’s one thing is to take one in training and one thing to take in a match, and for those situations there is no way to train them properly because you can’t train with the real pressure, it’s something you only feel in that moment.”

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Luke Shaw once again proves his critics wrong with magnificent performance for England

Luke Shaw has been one of the standout players for England at Euro 2020. The 26-year-old recorded three assists and a goal at the tournament apart from his stellar defensive contributions.

Shaw has once again proved to be the best left-back in the country and has overcome the difficulties he once faced when Jose Mourinho was Manchester United’s manager a couple of years ago.

Luke Shaw was heavily criticized by the Portuguese manager for his lack of desire, work rate, and quality during his time managing Manchester United.

He has, however, bounced back in style and is coming off an incredible season for club and country.

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