In a match that will surely haunt Ryan Porteous, the Watford defender's first appearance in a major tournament finals turned into an absolute nightmare.
Representing Scotland in their opening game of Euro 2024 against Germany, Porteous was sent off just before half-time for a foul on German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan.
The red card contributed to Scotland's eventual 5-1 thrashing at the hands of the host nation - with Kai Havertz converting the resulting penalty.
To add to his woes, UEFA extended Porteous' automatic one-game ban to two games, meaning his tournament was effectively over after less than 45 minutes on the pitch.
The former Hibernian star has now returned back to Watford's training base where manager, Tom Cleverley, has consoled him and attempted to lift his mood ahead of the new English Championship season.
“He’s going to have huge disappointment at how the tournament went, not just for him personally but for the team as well, because he is very much a team player,” the Watford boss explained.
“Scotland had a disappointing tournament and it was so highly anticipated by them, but it turned out to be an anti-climax.
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“What I said to Ryan was one thing I regret I never did during my career was playing in a major tournament. He’s done that at a young age.
“It’ll probably take a while for him to see the positives in it, but he’s represented his country at a major tournament, and for a Watford player to have done that I’m proud of him.”
