England stars reveal how they brush off mistakes and carry on regardless

Mistakes are part and parcel of football. Every player makes them but they always seem to stick in the mind when it’s an England ace with their head in their hands.

At Italia 90, Paul Gascoigne was left in tears after picking up a booking that would have ruled him out of the final had the Three Lions managed to see off Germany.

Of course, there was worse to come in that semi-final when Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle missed penalties in the shootout that broke the collective hearts of a nation.

Many England stars since that duo have failed to convert crucial spot-kicks at major tournaments, including current World Cup squad members Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka.

But while errors may be an occupational hazard, Declan Rice and Anthony Gordon have revealed how they brush themselves off and carry on — no matter how bad things may be.

Speaking on the Lions’ Den, Arsenal ace Rice said: “In the early stages of my career, I would have worried about making mistakes or would have thought about that mistake for a while during a game.

“But that isn’t going to be my last mistake — I’m going to make more.

“I made a big mistake against Spurs [in February]. After that, I was so calm because all eyes are on you in that moment.

“If you let your mind start to dictate to you, you’re just going to hide. I’ve become better than that over the years.”

Overcoming adversity is something both Rice and England team-mate Gordon, who will play his football at Barcelona from next season, are well versed in.

Rice, 27, added: “Us two are similar. We’ve had so many setbacks on our journeys so far, loads of rejection throughout our careers and loads of adversity.

“If you want to get to the top, you have to just keep taking those small losses, keep riding with them and keep believing in yourself.

“In the end, I think if you keep believing, have good people around you, you’ll end up winning one way or the other.

“I’ve always believed that rejections as a kid, the adversities, always help.”

While Rice relies on positive thinking to keep his spirits up, former Newcastle star Gordon, 25, turns to meditation.

He revealed: “I meditate every morning. If I don’t, I feel all over the place!

“It’s just a bit of calm. Football is about letting things go, whether you do bad or good.

“When I meditate, if I make a mistake, I find it easier to let go and be right in the next moment — and that moment could decide a game.”

England fans will hope there are no costly errors to rue at a World Cup that Thomas Tuchel’s men enter as one of the favourites to lift the famous gold trophy.

But if the Three Lions are to end 60 years of hurt, they will not be able to put a foot wrong in North America — starting with Wednesday’s opener against Croatia.

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