ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO managed to unexpectedly brighten the gloom last night when he mistakenly thought Shaun Wright-Phillips was playing for England.
The Juventus legend, 47, was a pundit for Channel 4 as his home nation of Italy took on England.
The night ended in relegation for the Three Lions as Giacomo Raspadori's 68th-minute strike earned the Azzurri a 1-0 win.
That result piled even more pressure on England boss Gareth Southgate - but at least fans
watching at home had something to smile about courtesy of Del Piero.
Following the match, the former forward was analysing the performance of the away side in Milan when he named Wright-Phillips - whose last cap for England was in 2010 - as one of their best players.
Del Piero said: “All the time that the England side pressed high very well, they had a couple of close attacks, especially when Wright-Phillips moved the ball.”
Viewers quickly picked up on his on-air gaffe and quickly took to social media.
One tweeted: “I don't know what game Del Piero has been watching, but I'm confident he just referred to one of our players as Wright-Phillips!”
Another said: “Del Piero thinks Wright-Phillips is playing what a guy.”
A fellow Channel 4 viewer wrote: “Why does Del Piero think Wright Phillips is playing for England?”
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Another asked: “Did Del Piero just say something about Wright-Phillips??”
To which another replied: “Yes he did, I had to rewind it! Obviously watching a game from 2006.”
Former Manchester City and Chelsea winger Wright-Phillips earned the last of his 36 caps for England at the 2010 World Cup.
He enjoyed a fine career at club level, winning the Premier League and two FA Cups.
Following a second spell at City, he joined QPR in 2011 before heading to the MLS with New York Red Bulls in 2015.
The now 40-year-old then had a brief spell with Phoenix Rising before announcing his retirement in 2017.
