I can only apologise for blunder in England defeat – Hart

The tournament has been a triumph for the smaller nations with both Iceland and Wales reaching the quarter-final and Northern Ireland reaching the last 16.

Former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher added: “It was a shambolic performance, especially second half”.

A significant number of the tiny island’s 330,000 population have travelled to France to support their national team in Euro 2016. I was a fan.

He admitted to being in a fragile emotional state following the defeat, but believes he leads behind a talented bunch of young players capable of reversing England’s wretched fortunes. Hodgson read out his resignation statement within minutes of the final whistle.

He tweeted: ‘Bought tickets for the Saint Denis QF last week for £235 each, the face value is €45, the match is now Iceland v France.

“We’re all proud Englishmen, England fans”. It’s the right timing, with his contract coming to an end, and the way we played in this game.

Rooney said he would fight for his place under the Three Lions’ new boss, and intends to face Slovakia on 4 September as England commence their qualification campaign for the 2018 World Cup in Russian Federation.

“One particularly bad game has caused a lot of damage to me personally, to the team and to the team going forward, because they’ve got a bridge to fix”.

He said: “I’m sorry it will have to end this way but these things happen”.

England’s performance ranks alongside some of the most dismal at major tournaments.

The 68-year-old, who also oversaw the worst World Cup in the nation’s history two years ago, is coming under heavy criticism from all quarters and is being labelled by many fans as the worst coach in the nation’s history. There are six tournaments which we have gone out of in my time so of course I’m gutted.

“It’s about growing as players – a lot of young players will learn from this and hopefully learn from it quickly and try and bring English football back to where it belongs”, Hart told British media.

If England’s defending was bad for that goal it was disastrous for the second as Iceland were allowed time and space on the edge of the box to set up Sigthorsson for a low shot that Joe Hart should have saved but merely took the power off as it rolled over the line. Where Leo Messi’s Argentina career has been an odd, unsatisfying combination of personal glory and collective heartbreak, Hodgson’s spell as England manager has been characterised by ineptitude and pusillanimity.

“We didn’t underestimate them, we respected them as a team and knew what they are – they work hard and are well organised. That is how this team will be remembered”.

Shearer: “Iceland were outstanding, every single one of them”. England seem brittle. We need to understand why that is. “He didn’t have a system, he didn’t know his best players, tactically inept, we had players in the squad who didn’t deserve to be in the squad”. We’re the ones on the pitch. Roy Hodgson had little choice.