AS THE nation gets ready to cheer on Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions, against Switzerland this afternoon, we will be hoping the team get the match won in 90 minutes.
And, if we want to avoid maximum stress, do not let it go to extra time or penalties.
But who are England’s best penalty takers, according to the statistics?
Harry Kane is England’s main penalty taker but – because of the sheer number of spot kits he has taken – he has a success rate of 87.06 per cent (he has taken 85 and has scored 74 of those). That puts him seventh in the squad for penalty/goal ratio.
The person to have taken the next highest amount is Ivan Toney who has taken 32 penalties and scored 30. That’s a success ratio of 93.75 per cent and puts him fifth in the list.
There are four players in the squad with a 100 per cent penalty record.
Top of the pile is Cole Palmer who has taken 15, scored 15. Next is Conor Gallagher who has scored all five of his and then Trent Alexander-Arnold (four) and Jude Bellingham (three).
In between Toney and Kane is Eberechi Eze who has scored seven from eight, giving him a success percentage of 87.50.
After Kane in seventh, we have Bukayo Saka (25 penalties, 23 scored and two missed), Anthony Gordon (four scored from 10) and Jarrod Bowen who has scored three from nine (66.6 per cent).
Anton Malyutin, Founder and CEO of Tips.gg which conducted the study, said: “There are always major discussions around who should and should not be taking a spot kick in those nail-biting penalty shootouts, but by looking at career data, we have a better understanding of which players have the composure and expertise to take on the responsibility in those huge moments.”
But, hopefully, today will not come down to that and England will book their place in Wednesday’s semi-final within the 90 minutes (or at least in 120).
