A pocket of the Wembley crowd bafflingly booed the Liverpool defender as he was given a late run-out on Thursday night.

It came after Gomez was left with a scratch down his face and neck when Sterling accosted him at the start of England’s training camp.

The Manchester City ace subsequently sat out the Montenegro thrashing that saw England qualify for Euro 2020 as punishment.

But after the game he tweeted: “To all the England fans, I wanted to leave things at it was but tonight I have to speak again: it was hard for me to see my team-mate get booed for something that was my fault.

“Joe hasn’t done anything wrong & for me to see someone who keeps his head down and work hard, especially after a difficult week, for him to be booed when he came on tonight was wrong.

“I’ve taken full responsibility and accepted the consequence.

“I felt as though I had to say this, get home safe everyone.”

It was a startlingly easy night for Gareth Southgate as Harry Kane netted a hat-trick against the hapless visitors.

Gomez’s introduction after 70 minutes, for Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, awarded him his seventh cap.

And yet with England fans surely enjoying their evening out, some chose to target one of their own – and an innocent party as Sterling points out.

Three Lions boss Southgate echoed the winger’s sentiment when speaking to the media after the whistle.