Piers Morgan believes Bukayo Saka has ‘conquered his demons’ after scoring in England’s penalty shootout win over Switzerland in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.
Three years ago, Saka took England’s fifth penalty in the European Championship final against Italy, his effort saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma, as the Azzurri lifted the trophy at Wembley.
He was subjected to a barrage of racist abuse after his miss, but he had the courage to return to action on Saturday night after the match between England and Switzerland ended 1-1 after 120 minutes.
Saka converted England’s third penalty, firing the ball into the bottom corner with a big smile.
Morgan was quick to react to the moment, posting the following on X: ‘BUKAYO!!!! Demons destroyed’.
Bukayo Saka stepped up to score his penalty after missing three years ago
He sent Yann Sommer the wrong way with a penalty that ended up in the bottom corner
It was a ‘moment of redemption’ for Saka after his devastating goal in the 2021 European Championship final
Another fan agreed with Morgan’s assessment, adding: ‘A moment of redemption. A moment of courage. A moment of ecstasy.
‘Bukayo Saka is HIM.’
It was clear to see how happy Saka was after the immense pressure he had experienced, with one of the supporters admitting it was a ‘great moment for him’.
Saka’s convincing penalty allowed England to maintain their momentum after Manuel Akanji’s earlier miss, with Gareth Southgate’s men eventually winning 5-3 on penalties after converting all five of their penalties.
The Arsenal forward also played excellently in regular time, when he came to England’s rescue after Breel Embolo had gone behind from close range.
It looked like the Three Lions were going to win, but Saka cut inside and curled a superb effort into the bottom corner to bring his team level as the clock ticked down.
Saka was named player of the match after a brilliant overall performance
Saka played most of the match in an unfamiliar role as right back, but was a constant threat and was rightly named player of the match.
After the match he proudly posed with his trophy, after a performance and penalty to be proud of.