England goalkeeping legend David Seaman has revealed that the most difficult penalties to save are those taken by players who almost stop completely, waiting for the goalkeeper to commit before placing the ball into the opposite corner. He made the comments while discussing Harry Kane's controversial stuttering run-up during England's World Cup opener against Croatia.
Kane's Miss and Retake
Kane was given a second chance from the spot after his initial effort was saved by Dominik Livakovic. During that run-up, Kane halted his approach with a stutter, allowing Livakovic to make the save. However, due to encroachment by a defender and Livakovic stepping off his line, Kane retook the penalty and lashed the ball into the net. Many fans felt Kane had got away with it, as the technique had backfired on England teammate Eberechi Eze in Arsenal's Champions League final penalty shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
Seaman's Perspective
Seaman told Daily Star Sport: "I never found it particularly difficult to stay on my line because you know different penalty takers have different techniques. The amount of analysis that goes into penalties now is incredible. Every penalty a player has ever taken is available to watch. Everyone knows Harry has several different types of penalties, and that's one of the reasons he's so successful."
He added: "He's probably scored plenty with that stuttering run-up in the Bundesliga. He missed the first one, then immediately changed his approach for the retake. The second penalty actually went into almost the same area, but the goalkeeper went the other way. To be honest, it wasn't a brilliant penalty. If the goalkeeper dives the right way, he probably saves it!"
Hart and Kane Weigh In
Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart praised Kane's approach, calling the stutter a "ploy" to make goalkeepers hesitate. Hart noted that the first penalty was "poor," but Kane baited Livakovic and then slotted the retake without a stutter. Kane himself said he knew from video analysis that Livakovic moves early on penalties, so the stutter would likely draw him off his line. "These are all reasons why I do the research. And in the end, obviously, it worked out nicely for me," Kane said.
Seaman on Penalty Takers
When asked if the stutter can throw off a keeper, Seaman replied: "Not really. If you know it's coming, you can wait. The penalty takers who are hardest to face are the ones who almost stop completely. They stand there looking at you, waiting for you to commit first before calmly passing the ball into the opposite corner. They're the most difficult because they're reacting to what you're doing. As a goalkeeper, though, penalties are one of the best moments in football because you've got a real chance to become the hero!"
England's Penalty Record
England have won three of their last four penalty shootouts in major tournaments, with the only loss coming in the 2020 Euros final against Italy. In the World Cup, England have won just one of four shootouts. Jordan Pickford was in goal for that victory, saving penalties from Carlos Bacca and Mateus Uribe. Seaman joked: "I hope he doesn't have much to do because that means England are playing well."
Pickford Praised
Seaman praised Pickford's consistency: "Jordan has been outstanding for England. He's got more than 80 caps now and I'd imagine he'll go on to reach 100 because his standards have stayed incredibly high. It's not just with England either. He's been excellent for Everton over the last few seasons. He almost kept them in the Premier League on his own a couple of years ago with some incredible saves."
Seaman added: "With England he's reached two European Championship finals and a World Cup semi-final. It's been a really good period. Now it's about taking that next step and actually winning something. That's my one regret with England - I never won a major tournament. I was fortunate enough to win plenty of trophies with Arsenal, and there's no feeling quite like it. But winning something with England would be on a completely different level. As a former player, I'd love to be there when that finally happens because it would be an incredible celebration!"
