There have been some phenomenal penalty takers throughout Premier League history, from Matt Le Tissier and Alan Shearer to Harry Kane and Bruno Fernandes.
For former Liverpool, Manchester City and England gloveman David James, who faced some of the very best from 12 yards over the course of his career, one man stands out above the rest.
Eric Cantona, the former Leeds and Manchester United forward, is the finest according to James.
'Palmer reminds me of Cantona in terms of that aura from the spot, that nonchalance' David James on what makes Cole Palmer so special from the spot
“The best I ever faced was Eric Cantona,” James tells FourFourTwo on behalf of Top Offshore Sports Books.
“In the moment, you’re trying to read the body language and, with Eric, he’d either be so nonchalant that you couldn’t tell, or he’d intentionally send you whichever way he wanted with little feints.
“He could evaluate it perfectly as well. Cantona only missed a couple during his time in England and it isn’t hard to see why.”
Cantona’s calm, almost dismissive approach to taking penalties has reminded James of a current Premier League star – Chelsea’s Cole Palmer.
The 23-year-old has quickly earned a reputation as one of the Premier League’s most ruthless penalty takers, dispatching them with a coolness beyond his years.
“Palmer reminds me of Cantona in terms of that aura from the spot, that nonchalance,” adds James. “Listen, just like Eric, he doesn’t even tend to put the ball into the corner. He just rolls it into the empty space – just passes it into the back of the net.”
James faced dozens of penalties in a career spanning three decades, and believes the psychological game Palmer plays is what makes him so difficult to stop.
“‘Keepers will be doing their research,” he says. “I think Palmer actually wants you to do that as you’ll feel confident to go early and that helps him. His reputation helps – goalkeepers start to think they stand even less of a chance against the best players.”
