Penalties: How The Lions Turned It From A Lottery To Slottery

THE England players used to be afraid of the dreaded P word.

- JOHN CROSS

We are into shootout territory from Sunday when England face Slovakia in the last 16 but, while there will be nerves, players should no longer be shaking with fear.

Gareth Southgate changed all that in the 2018 World Cup when England won their first penalty shootout in a tournament in 22 years.

They suffered heartbreak in the last Euros finals when they lost to Italy in a shootout but, unlike under previous managers, Southgate has changed England's approach.

And much of that is down to an unsung hero. Chris Markham, who is now sporting director at Bolton Wanderers, had four years at the Football Association as Game Insights Lead.

Markham helped change the attitude towards penalties from being a "lottery" to a science where players did detailed preparation, studies, and just the right amount of practice. Too much practice, the experts say, can actually add to the nerves.

Southgate had the first conversations with Markham in 2017, who then held a players' meeting in March 2018 and convinced the squad.

After England beat.