But in a carbon copy of their first goal against Austria in the group stage, the Iceland captain launched a raking missile from the sideline into the heart of the box where it was flicked on by Kari Arnason to the onrushing Ragnar Sigurdsson, who scored.
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Hodgson now exits the tournament and the role of England manager, but as long as Iceland are still at Euro 2016, his spirit will live on in the coaching of his pragmatic disciple Lagerback.
Kolbeinn Sigthorsson then took advantage of more slack defending by England, getting time and space to shoot from just inside the area after intricate build-up play.
Monday night was a disastrous one for Joe Hart.. Their players slumped to the ground in front of their jeering fans after the final whistle, their heads in their hands.
England is used to footballing disappointment, 50 years and counting since the side’s solitary tournament triumph on home soil.
Many referred to England’s shock 1-0 loss to the United States in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil in their post-match reports, though they felt the result in Nice would now surpass that as their worst in worldwide soccer.
“Like the nation, we are disappointed to lose this evening and that our run in this tournament has come to a premature end”, the FA statement read.
The last minutes were “a bit difficult”.
His appearance against Iceland was his 115th, equalling David Beckham’s record for most by an outfield player for England.
‘All I can do is wish everybody all the very best and hope that you will still be able to see an England team in a final of a major tournament fairly soon’.
The Daily Mail’s Martin Samuel described the loss as a “seismic wave” for English soccer and felt that Hodgson probably should have been sacked after the side’s group phase exit at the 2014 World Cup.
Hodgson knew the game was up long before the whistle, waiting until it was far too late for Rashford to make a difference.
Its squad and backroom staff raced onto the field in pure joy to celebrate with the team.
Hodgson and his players now face the lifetime stigma of their involvement in the darkest day in the history of English football.
In Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, an estimated 10,000 people watched the match on a giant screen downtown in daylight.
But England’s Euro 2016 is over, their reputation is gone and Hodgson will be gone before the week is out.
It flies home with only one win in the group stage, against Wales, and the country is still waiting for its first knockout stage victory at a tournament since the 2006 World Cup. Italy will play Germany in Bordeaux on Saturday in a rematch of the 2012 semifinal, which it won by 2-1.
Derek Wainwright, 52, from Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, said: “I’m a bit shell-shocked”.
“It’s disappointing tonight, but I enjoy and am proud playing for England”, Rooney told The Mirror.
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“Defeat here in Nice was always going to be a deeper trauma”.
