Topics: England, Ivan Toney, Euro 2024, Brentford, Switzerland
A coach who worked with Ivan Toney has offered a fascinating insight into the England striker's unusual training ground methods when it comes to penalties.
The 28-year-old, who was brought on in the second-half of extra time during Saturday's quarter-final clash against Switzerland, scored a spot-kick to remember in the tense shootout.
After a confident stroll to the area, Toney kept his eyes firmly fixed on goalkeeper Yann Sommer before converting one of the most relaxed penalties in European Championship history.
"I wouldn't say [I felt] pressure," he said after the full-time whistle. "I always have my own routine, I'm just focused and do what I always do: just take my time and roll it into the back of the net."
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"I never look at the ball," Toney added. "It's just my routine. Some people may see it as crazy but that's my routine and I'm going to stick to it. It's been working and it can work whenever it's needed."
Toney, who has converted 30 of the 32 penalties he has taken in his career, will no doubt step up against if England reach another shootout at Euro 2024.
In the meantime, he may be practicing his technique which involves shooting from 13 yards instead of 12.
Bob Jeffrey, a goalkeeping director who worked with Toney in Nashville while he served a ban for betting offences, recently opened up on the training ground method.
"It was fascinating to watch." He told The Times. "Because in practice he takes them from 13 yards, not 12 yards.
"I asked him: 'Ivan, why are you taking them from 13 yards?' He said, 'Well, when it comes to a game, and I take them from 12 yards, the goal looks bigger.'
“He was a pleasure to work with, a pleasure to talk to and get to know. But the thing that impressed me most was the detail in everything [Toney] did."
Jeffrey added: "He never went through the motions. It was like every single shot was to win the World Cup."
After the penalty shootout win over Switzerland, Bukayo Saka was asked about Toney's penalty antics.
“It’s crazy. We’re all just in awe, I don’t know how you cannot look at the ball," he said. “When we see him practising in training, he does the same thing.”
