Bukayo Saka knows full well that the curse of being a footballer is that you are only ever moments away from becoming the unwitting villain of the piece. The beauty of being a footballer is that it offers opportunities for redemption. The Arsenal winger was handed that chance against Switzerland, and took it…twice.
The burden that Saka must have carried after the Euro 2020 final must have been scarcely tolerable even without the sickening racist abuse that was sent his (and his teammates’) way. The sleepless nights, the knowledge that your miss had crushed the hopes of a nation…there is no other word for it than ‘unfair’.
That is not what players grow up dreaming of, and the expectation we put upon them – particularly at international level – is genuinely ridiculous. These are young human beings who have made a job out of playing a game.
VIDEO How France Won The WORST Game Of Euro 2024
The stakes should not be set so high: on back pages, in the stands, in the dressing room or on the streets. And yet, because this sport is our vessel for dreams of glory few of us will ever achieve for ourselves, that vicarious experience takes on meaning against all reason.
Without Saka’s equaliser, England would now be heading home from Germany empty handed. Without his contribution to a faultless sequence of England penalties, Switzerland would have had the chance to haul themselves back level from the spot – and who knows how it might have unfolded from there.
The beaming grin on the 22 year old’s face after he sent Yann Sommer diving the wrong way, cupped his hands to his ears to receive the cheers of the England fans, and turned to pump a celebratory fist at his teammates was an absolute delight. In that moment, we all shared the same feeling, even if just for a moment amid the knowledge that it could all still come undone thereafter.
🗣️ "I used it to make me stronger."Bukayo Saka ❤️#BBCEuros #Euro2024 #ENGSUI pic.twitter.com/BqTvhGlYeSJuly 6, 2024
It did not, of course, and five other England players came up just as big as Saka in that shootout win: Jordan Pickford with his opening save, plus successful conversions from Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Ivan Toney and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
That list of names provided some vindication for Gareth Southgate, too. Saka was one of three substitutes who stepped up to the mark and missed in that Wembley finale to Euro 2020 – two of them sent on late in extra time with the specific brief of completing the job (Saka had come on in the 71st minute); the manager was roundly criticised for it. This time, the three substitutes who stepped up to the mark found the net.
Really, though, this was Saka’s night. The semi-finals and – dare we add – the final hold no guarantee of a happy ending. There is always another game, and another chance for that hero/villain dichotomy to turn again.
But he – and the rest of us watching – will have that sweetest of moments to reflect on for the rest of his life. In football, as in life, that is really all you can ever ask for.
Get a free live stream to watch Euro 2024 from anywhere in the world and catch the final stages of the summer's big tournament
More England stories
England improvement at Euro 2024 still leaves much to be desired after Switzerland scares - yet they have us dreaming again
Did Jude Bellingham refuse to be substituted? After subs board mix-up fans suggest England star used his 'aura' to change Gareth Southgate's mind
