Italy midfielder Federico Chiesa said he was "certain" he had been fouled for a penalty when he was challenged by England defender James Tarkowski in Tuesday's 1-1 friendly draw at Wembley.
The 87th-minute penalty was awarded after referee Deniz Aytekin consulted VAR, with Lorenzo Insigne converting.
The decision was the main subject of debate after the match, but Chiesa said he had felt sure Aytekin would point to the spot after reviewing the incident.
"When it happened, I was certain it was a penalty straight away because he clearly caught my foot," he told RAI television.
"I really wanted this penalty, not just for me but for the whole team because I felt we deserved a draw -- maybe even a draw doesn't do us justice.
"We needed this goal to give everybody a morale boost.
"I'm delighted tonight to have played for the national team. It was already a dream to make my debut and even better now to continue in the national team, and so I was emotional to come on."
Italy caretaker coach Luigi Di Biagio also felt the draw was a fair reflection of the game.
"We always had belief even when we were 1-0 down," he told RAI.
"Then, at 1-1, we were the side pushing to win it. We were in charge of the game all through the second half. This is certainly a step forward."