England manager Roy Hodgson has insisted he is proud of their players and now knows what they are made of after the side’s exit at Euro 2012 last night.

 

Hodgson’s team exited the tournament in heartbreaking fashion, losing on penalties to Italy after keeping a slick Azzurri at bay for 120 minutes of football.

 

Now England’s hopes are over and Hodgson must instead look towards qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

 

The experience has though allowed the former Liverpool manager to find out more about his players.

 

"We stuck to our guns right until the end and the players should be very proud of what they did", said Hodgson to the BBC post-match.

 

"I have learnt a lot about the players and their determination and dedication to the task, and the fact that they are so keen to play for England.

 

"There were some heroic performances, not only tonight, but also in the previous three games."

 

While England head home, Italy shape up for a semi-final clash against Germany; the Azzurri also deprived England of the chance to gain revenge for their defeat to the Germans at the 2010 World Cup.

 

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