Angry Gerrard says: We should have shut up shop

The Liverpool midfielder, captain in place of injured Chelsea defender John Terry, admitted: "It hasn't really sunk in just yet. I think the first 10 or 15 minutes cost us. We wanted to do to them what they did to us in Croatia [when England lost 2-0].

"When you are 2-0 down you have got to take risks. There was a big improvement in the second half, we got back into the game.

"We should have shut up shop then. When you get back into it, you've got to see it out and take a draw. But we took risks and got done on the counterattack."

"It's going to hurt for a long time. It will take a long time to recover from this."

Gerrard defended goalkeeper Scott Carson, who blundered for Croatia's early opening goal after being called up in place of Paul Robinson.

Gerrard said: "He's obviously disappointed. He knows he's made a mistake but he's a young lad with a bright future.

"He's got to get it out of his system as soon as possible. I'm good friends with him and really feel for him."

Striker Peter Crouch, who scored England's second goal, admitted: "We worked so hard to get back to 2-2 and then to throw it away was the most frustrating thing of the night.

"You'd have to say we were not good enough in the end because we haven't qualified.

"Once we get tonight out of the system I think we can look at where we went wrong in the other games as well but at the moment, it's too painful."

David Beckham, who came on as a half-time substitute and provided the cross for Crouch's equalising volley, dismissed talk of retirement and insisted he is ready to continue playing for England until the 2010 World Cup.

"I want to carry on playing for England," he said. "I've got no reason to step down."

Beckham needs just one more cap for his century and said: "We will see if that is my last tournament. I've said I'd love to be involved in 2010 but eight months ago I didn't expect myself to be here playing at Wembley.

"We will see what the future holds. We have to come back from this, for our nation, for our players, for the talent we've got in our nation.

"To not be involved in the Euros is a huge, huge, thing and it is devastating, not just for the players but for the fans.

"Without a doubt there will be a backlash.

"It is about how we deal with it. If you are going to play and perform at this level, then you've got to take the good with the bad."