Joe Hart apologies after Iceland howler

Three Lions crashed out of Euro 2016 against minnows Iceland and Joe Hart admits they deserve flak.

But it was still not enough to save them from a brutal kicking from fans and pundits as Roy Hodgson paid the ultimate price for failure.

Hodgson, the highest-paid boss at the Euros on £3.5million a year, knew his number was up long before the final whistle blew in Nice last night.

But his players were just as quick to shoulder the blame, with blunder keeper Joe Hart admitting: “We will get a lot of flak and we deserve it.

“I was to blame for two of the goals conceded at this tournament. I didn’t perform personally.

“I hold my hands up to that and I apologise for ultimately costing us the game tonight and the tournament.

“I can only thank the fans who have made the effort, I appreciate their frustrations and from the bottom of my heart I am sorry.

“As a group it is down to us. All the plans are put in place, we knew everything about Iceland but ultimately we didn’t perform.”

Alan Shearer wrote yesterday that losing to the Atlantic minnows would be the Three Lions’ most embarrassing defeat.

And so it proved, with Iceland defender Kari Arnason piling on the misery when he roared: “This is, without a doubt, the biggest result in Icelandic football history. We have shocked the world.”

Hart rejected claims the Three Lions lacked passion.

He said: “It’s not a question of wanting it, there’s nothing we want more. They are just words though. We were in a good place but we haven’t done it.

“The next manager has a tough job on his hands. We worked hard but with no success. That is how this team will be remembered.

“We came into this tournament with high expectations and they look foolish now we’ve gone out to Iceland.

“It’s a really tough moment in our careers and you hope the scars won’t take too long to heal.”

Skipper Wayne Rooney said: “It’s a hard one to take. It’s embarrassing.

“Roy told the players after the game and went round and thanked us all.

“As a group of players we appreciate what he’s done for us, he has given a lot of players their England debuts and you can’t forget that.

“But we are the ones on the pitch and you can’t just say it is Roy Hodgson’s fault.

“We are all in it together and we all have to share that responsibility.

“We feel like we’ve let the fans down but we would like to thank them for all their support. They were brilliant.

“We are disappointed and sad.”

Yet there was no sympathy outside the camp for Hodgson or his players, with even former England bosses Steve McClaren and Glenn Hoddle queuing up to put the boot in.

McClaren blasted: “It’s failure, absolute failure. It’s the toughest job in football, as Roy has been finding out, and they have not been good enough.

“The second goal killed them and that’s a lack of leadership and experience. The belief went and they started playing as individuals against a very, very average Iceland team.

“I did exactly the same thing after we lost to Croatia.

“I knew I couldn’t go on and Roy will be thinking the same thing.

“The players will get a lot of stick but in the end it’s the manager’s responsibility.”

And Hoddle added: “It’s a very sad moment because you don’t like to see any England manager resigning, but the timing is right. Going out to Iceland and playing like that, it’s the right time for him to leave.

“It has been a very lacklustre performance. Sometimes you have games where you think you deserved better but not tonight.

“There was not enough movement, no one had options on the ball and Iceland deserved their win.”