Gareth Southgate: England in better shape for Euros penalty shootout after 2020 final heartache | OneFootball

The Three Lions missed three spot-kicks in the 2022 final

Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane believe England have a more experienced set of penalty-takers in Germany than they did at the last European Championship.

England agonisingly lost on penalties to Italy in the final of Euro 2020 after misses from Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho in the shootout.

It was Saka's first senior spot-kick - though he has since established himself as Arsenal's taker, and scored all six of his efforts last season - while Sancho was also inexperienced from the spot.

Southgate's 26-man squad in Germany includes penalty-specialists Ivan Toney and Cole Palmer, while Kane boasts a great record from the spot.

As England prepare for Sunday's last-16 tie against Slovakia here in Gelsenkirchen, Southgate says the squad are constantly working on their plans for a potential shootout in the knockouts.

England players during the Euro 2020 final penalty shootout loss

Getty Images

"We’ll prepare as thoroughly as we always do but we are always refining that process [for penalties]," the England manager said. "We want as much control of that process as we possibly can. We have prepared over a period of time.

"The other thing is we definitely have a lot more regular penalty-takers for their clubs than we had three or four years ago, in some instances the second penalty takers for their clubs, so there is more experience of being in that situation."

Kane believes the same, adding: “I think we have a lot of good takers.

“If you compare the amount of takers we’ve got compared to the last Euros, I think having regular takers is important and players who have taken some in high-pressure penalty shootouts since or in big games since.

"I’m not sure it’s the ‘best group of penalty takers we’ve ever had’ but it’s probably the most experienced group we’ve had.

"So I know there’s always a lot of talk about that but we have  a process that we do as a team every tournament and that hasn’t changed in this one, whether we’ve had more regular takers or not. And yeah if it’s needed it’s something we’re prepared for."

Harry Kane after missing a penalty against France at the 2022 World Cup

REUTERS

Kane scored all eight of his penalties for Bayern Munich last term but his last miss from 12 yards was in England's World Cup quarter-final defeat to France 18 months ago, when he blazed England's second penalty of the game over the bar after scoring the first.

Asked if the moment still played on his mind, the England captain said: "Well I wasn’t thinking about it until now!

"From my point of view whenever I miss a penalty, no matter what game it is I always pride myself on then making sure I get on another good run.

"I have a technique I have always used and I don’t change that. I go through the process, I look at the keeper and go through what penalty is going to be best in that situation. Then I execute to the best of my ability on the day.

Southgate introduced Sancho and Rashford in the 120th minute of the final three years ago, specifically to take a penalty, leading to criticism of the manager.

Palmer has since revealed that he and Toney have discussed coming on specifically for penalties, with the Chelsea playmaker saying he would be willing to step up.

You make decisions for the right reasons at the time with the evidence you have before you, but you will be the only one who ends up accountable

Gareth Southgate

Southgate did not rule out subbing on players for penalties in Germany, pointing out that it worked for Argentina in the World Cup Final in Qatar.

"I think in the World Cup final Argentina brought Dybala on with two minutes to go and he scored," Southgate said.

"The Europa League final before our Euro final, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer brought on Alex Telles and Juan Mata on in the 123rd minute, they scored, they lost the game and he got slaughtered for not changing his goalkeeper.

“Hindsight is always the master in those moments, you make decisions and you make decisions for the right reasons at the time with the evidence you have before you, but you will be the only one who ends up accountable for those decisions.

"Our goalkeeper's very, very good at saving penalties, he's got a fantastic record, so, not sure we need to [replace him]," he added. "In fact, all our goalkeepers are pretty good at that."