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Rangers show support for Saka before Arsenal pre-season clash

Rangers made a touching tribute to Arsenal and England star Bukayo Saka by giving a signed No 7 shirt to his club teammate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang before a pre-season friendly with the Gunners on Saturday.

Saka was hit with an onslaught of racist abuse on social media after missing the crucial penalty in England’s 3-2 defeat to Italy in a shootout following the Euro 2020 final.

Rangers' James Tavernier and Arsenal skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang pay tribute to Saka

But Rangers were keen to show their support for the 19-year-old when they faced his Arsenal side in a friendly to mark the Glasgow giants’ 150-year anniversary.

Saka, here consoled by coach Gareth Southgate, has received huge support after the miss

Rangers captain James Tavernier handed the shirt, signed by Steven Gerrard’s side’s squad, to Arsenal skipper Aubameyang before kick off and the Scottish champions tweeted the image with the hashtag #EveryoneAnyone.

Arsenal responded by replying: ‘Respect’.

Gianluigi Donnarumma saved Saka's penalty to clinch Italy's victory 3-2 in the shootout

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Saka and Manchester United pair Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho have all come in for sickening abuse since missing from the spot in the shootout at Wembley but have been shown support by many figures from football and outside, including Usain Bolt.

Saka, who had never previously taken a penalty as a professional, was distraught after the miss but spoke about the matter for the first time in an emotional post on Instagram on Thursday.

‘I knew instantly the type of hate that I was about to receive,’ he wrote on Instagram, ‘that is a sad reality’.

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