Neville and Wright disagreed.
Gary Neville and Ian Wright had a frank exchange over the penalty decision awarded to England in their Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands.
Harry Kane stepped up and converted the penalty, scoring his third goal of the tournament.
Referee Felix Zwayer had initially waved play on after contact between Kane and Denzel Dumfries as the England captain took a shot at goal.
But VAR reviewed the decision and recommended the referee to check the monitor, after which he gave a spot kick.
Fans had mixed views on the incident, with some believing Zwayer’s original call should have stood without VAR intervention.
And on ITV, Neville made his feelings clear, describing it as a ‘disgraceful decision’.
He said: “As a defender, I think it’s an absolute disgrace. It’s an absolute disgrace of a decision.
“To have that given against me as a penalty at any time, but particularly in a game of such importance… I was fuming with the penalty in the Denmark game, the handball – I was offended by that one.
“He goes in naturally, just to try and block the shot. It’s not a penalty for me, it’s nowhere near a penalty. I don’t think there were many England players appealing for it.
“But you take your luck – England played really well in the first half.
Wright then countered Neville’s point, arguing: “That was reckless from Dumfries for me.
“The way he’s challenged there.. Gary, that’s why he’s given it! It’s VAR. If that’s anywhere else on the pitch, you get a foul for it! One hundred per cent. Penalties are given for those.
“Look, his studs were up. Those are given as penalties now, even if we think it’s soft.”
🗣️ “It’s an absolute DISGRACE… It’s nowhere near a penalty.”
🗣️ “That was RECKLESS from Dumfries.”#Euro2024 | #NEDENG | @IanWright0 | @GNev2 pic.twitter.com/MBcwzzIgxi
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 10, 2024
Neville stated: “The problem is, we’re all going mad. We don’t know what a penalty is.
“We’ve conditioned ourselves in the game now where we think that’s reckless. In the box, there’s a little bit of licence for a defender to go in, with honesty, and block a shot. There’s got to be a bit of licence, or else you’d never block a shot.”
There were also differing opinions on commentary, with Arsenal legend Lee Dixon expressing his surprise when the penalty kick was given.
But Kane gleefully accepted the decision and put the ball into the bottom left corner, leaving Brighton and Netherlands goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen with little chance of keeping it out.
The England captain is the Three Lions’ top goalscorer at Euro 2024, ahead of midfielder Jude Bellingham who is on two for the tournament.
England supporters spot scary detail in Harry Kane selfie after Switzerland game (an)
Harry Kane took to social media after England beat Switzerland at Euro 2024.
Fans have been completely thrown by Harry Kane’s selfie following England’s dramatic penalty shootout victory against Switzerland.
England beat Switzerland 5-3 on penalties to book their spot in the semi-finals of Euro 2024.
Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who gave a brilliant post-match interview, all converted their spot-kicks.
Jordan Pickford saved Manuel Akanji’s penalty as he revealed that he was stopped from doing his ‘usual process’ by the match referee following the quarter-final clash.
Roy Keane’s reaction to Jude Bellingham’s overhead kick vs Slovakia has gone viral (an)
And Pickford was the talk of Kane’s selfie that he posted on social media.
The England captain took to X to react to his side’s stunning victory over the Swiss.
He posted a picture of himself alongside Tom Heaton, Luke Shaw and Pickford, who looked unrecognisable.
The image shows the Everton star without any product in his hair, leaving fans shocked over his appearance and joked that he morphed with Anthony Gordon.
Image: X/Harry Kane
One X user wrote: “Sees Pickford with everyday hair. *Rubs eyes*.”
A second tweeted: “Is that Pickford & Gordon?”
A third added: “I know I ain’t the only one tweaking right now.”
A fourth said: “Pickford without slicked back hair is a whole different person.”
Another joked: “Why have Gordon and Pickford merged together.”
Pickford and Co. resume their campaign next Wednesday when they take on the Netherlands for a spot in the final of Euro 2024.
Paul Scholes Was ‘The Most Overrated English Footballer Of All Time’, Says Former Prem Player (an)
The former Birmingham City player also mentioned that Scholes failed to win a single vote for the Ballon d’Or prize.
Paul Scholes has been labelled the “most overrated English footballer of all time” by former Premier League midfielder Curtis Woodhouse.
The 42-year-old, who made three appearances in England’s top flight for Birmingham City during his two-year spell at St Andrews, has been vocal about Scholes on a number of occasions down the years.
Back in 2020, he pointed out that the former Manchester United midfielder failed to make a PFA Team of the Year during his career – but he did so on two occasions.
Curtis Woodhouse in action for Birmingham City against David Beckham at Old Trafford. Image credit: Alamy
He wrote: “Scholes ran that many games for Manchester United he was never ever ever ever voted into the PFA team of the year by the players he was running games against. Just let that sink in.”
“Scholes was never ever voted into the PFA team of the year. It’s voted for by the players of every team competing in the league that year. To be respected by your fellow professionals as the best is the highest accolade.
“Steven Gerrard holds the record of being voted in 8 times.”
Image credit: Alamy
Woodhouse continued: “He had Keane next to him, Giggs and Beckham either side and Yorke and Cole up top! Oh and Rio and Vidic behind him! Paul Scholes running games is a footballing myth that’s grown and grown since he retired.”
He also claimed Scholes retired from international football at 29 years of age because “he couldn’t get a game in his preferred position” of centre midfield.
“That position was occupied by the great Steven Gerrard and the very good Frank Lampard,” he added.
The age-old ‘Gerrard, Lampard or Scholes’ debate is a popular one on social media and Woodhouse, a former British light-welterweight champion, once again voiced his opinion on the latter on Sunday.
Ballon d'Or votes
Curtis Woodhouse 0
Paul Scholes 0
Steven Gerrard 220Facts don’t care about feelings @talkSPORT
— Curtis Woodhouse BEM (@curtiswoodhous8) June 12, 2022
He mentioned the fact that Scholes failed to win a single vote for the Ballon d’Or prize throughout his career.
“Paul Scholes didn’t receive a single vote for the Ballon d’Or in his entire career,” Woodhouse tweeted. “Not one person EVER voted for him. The most overrated English footballer of all time. Please end this debate.”
Liverpool legend Gerrard, who ranked above both Frank Lampard and Scholes in the overall Ballon d’Or voting table, received 220 votes throughout his career, while former Chelsea midfielder Lampard recorded 169.
Paul Scholes didn’t receive a single vote for the Ballon d'Or in his entire career. Not one person EVER voted for him. The most overrated English footballer of all time. Please end this debate.
Kind regards
Curtis Woodhouse BEM @talkSPORT ✅— Curtis Woodhouse BEM (@curtiswoodhous8) June 12, 2022
Paul Scholes ✅ https://t.co/rdoGfbieVA
— Curtis Woodhouse BEM (@curtiswoodhous8) June 12, 2022
Woodhouse once labelled Scholes’ former teammate Ryan Giggs as “unbelievably overrated” in another social media post.
“Ryan Giggs another unbelievably overrated Manchester United player,” he wrote. “Outstanding longevity but in a team that dominated for years and were a free scoring machine his statistics for goals and assists is awful.
“Another Manchester United myth, good player, never anything more.”
