El Shaarawy on Instagram: Proud to have been part of such an extraordinary group

The post came the day after the Azzurri were knocked out of the tournament on penalties in the quarter-finals by Germany.

“Proud to have been part of such an extraordinary group…” the Giallorossi forward wrote next to a picture of the Italy squad. “We loved each other from day one and surpassed all expectations.

“There was mutual respect, unity, humility and a desire to make sacrifices. It was a real family. Twenty-three real men who loved being together, both on and off the pitch.

“It’s not always that you see all the players looking happy or sad after a game. That shows how much we all wanted to achieve the same objective, whether we played or not.

“We must have no regrets because we’ve shown everyone that you can overcome any obstacle with hard work.

“At the age of 23, this is an unforgettable experience and I feel privileged to have been able to live it alongside you all. I will carry these values with me for my whole life. As one of the younger players, the lessons and the satisfaction I’ve drawn from this are worth more than any trophy.

“It’s been an honour. Thank you from the bottom of my heart… I love you.”

El Shaarawy made one appearance for the Azzurri at Euro 2016, coming off the bench in Italy’s final Group E game against the Republic of Ireland.