Alessandr-oh

England have been dumped out of the European Championships by former West Ham forward Alessandro Diamanti.

The 29-year-old, who is currently co-owned by Brescia and Bolgna and featured for the latter in Serie A last season stepped up to score the penalty that sent Italy through to the semi-finals of the competition at England's expense after the game had finished 0-0 after extra time.

Diamanti was signed by West Ham in the 2009 summer transfer window for a fee in the region of £4million but was sent packing just a year later when he was sold to Brescia for a cut price £1.8million, despite having been voted as the club's Best Signing of 2009/10 by readers of KUMB.com.

During his year at West Ham, he made 20 starts and 10 substitute appearances, scoring eight goals in the process; his first coming against Liverpool in his second game for the hammers and his last in a 2-1 defeat at home to Bolton in March 2010.

Ironically perhaps West Ham are still yet to receive a penny from Brescia, the club to whom he was sold two years ago for his transfer. West Ham took the Italian club to a FIFA court of appeal in 2011 to no effect, and were reported to have stopped all payments to foreign clubs in protest.