David James was subject to boos from the Liverpool crowd after he crushed the dreams of an 11-year-old at Anfield.
James, 54, was roped in to help with the half-time entertainment between Liverpool and Chelsea, which is sponsored by Standard Chartered. Having been heavily criticised for his actions, fans have quickly turned on the former Liverpool man.
A young boy attempted to twice score against the ex-England goalkeeper, but on both occasions James denied him, supporters quickly turning on a man who made 53 caps for his country.
David James slammed for his actions, as he crushes the dreams of one Liverpool fan
Supporters have blasted James' actions, especially given others were seemingly allowed to score against him in the half-time entertainment at Anfield on Sunday.
James, who made 572 Premier League appearances - 214 of those coming at Liverpool, was however in no mood for handouts when it came to the youngster.
"So, half-time Standard Chartered penalty shootout at @LFC, the young lad has a chance to retake his penalty," wrote James on X, formerly known as Twitter, following his double save in front of The Kop.
One disgruntled fan quickly responded with some quick wit, writing: "Why did you save this but drop so many and cost us the cup final in 1996 and league in 1997?"
Another supporter added: "Reminds me of the time the whole squad signed my shirt outside Melwood when I was 11 and you said you couldn’t because your hands were full and got on the bus. Stay classy fella."
The hate messages continued for James, with one fan stating: "What a b******. This “life lesson” narrative in here is nonsense. It’s a pen shootout for a bit of fun this doesn’t make or break the kids' upbringing. You’ve no doubt left him devastated, upset and embarrassed and that’ll stay with him now."
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In FourFourTwo's view, James' antics are a tad comical, with the footage uploaded online clearly showing he did not mean to save the second effort, with the ball hitting his legs as he jumped in the opposite direction.
It remains to be seen whether the young lad gets another chance to score at Anfield in the next few weeks. But for now, James can sleep at night knowing he ruined the hopes of one youngster.
