Eric Dier could not hide his disappointment as Russia salvaged a stoppage-time equaliser to hold England to a 1-1 draw in their opening game of Euro 2016.
Tottenham midfielder Dier thumped home a superb 73rd-minute free-kick to give Roy Hodgson’s side a well-deserved lead after they had dominated the first half.
England 1-1 Russia
UEFA Euro 2016
Group B
Stade Velodrome, Marseille
Saturday Saturday 11 June
But Vasili Berezutski's looping header two minutes into added time left the Three Lions frustrated in Marseille.
Dier said: “We’re very disappointed. We played very well for the whole game but to give away the draw like that is very disappointing.”
Hodgson has picked the youngest England squad in 58 years, with the group having an average age of 25 years and 10 months.
But Dier refused to accept a lack of experience at international tournaments was to blame for the Three Lions’ failure to close out the match.
He added: “It’s not inexperience – we didn’t see it out in the right way but we didn’t lose so we need to pick ourselves up and go again. It’s just disappointing we couldn’t see it out.
“I thought our level of performance was very high, the best I’ve been involved in with England.
“We did everything right. We controlled the game, played out from the back, pressed when we needed to, won the ball back…we countered – it had it all from us apart from controlling it at the end. We need to put this behind us – it’s gone."
