For a world-class striker with the stature and clinical edge of Harry Kane, penalties are usually a gimme.
The Tottenham and England superstar is as unflappable and reliable as they come from 12 yards, but this is football we’re talking about; if there was ever an occasion to epitomise the cruelty of the beautiful game it was England’s crushing World Cup quarter-final defeat to France, where Kane equalised from the spot to join Wayne Rooney as England’s all-time leading goalscorer, before missing a second penalty which eventually proved fatal in Les Bleus’ 2-1 victory.
With that tale of two penalties in mind, let’s take a look at Kane’s record of spot kicks.
During England’s defeat to France in Qatar, Kane took his 20th and 21st penalties for the Three Lions – discounting one taken at Under-21 level.
His first of the night saw the striker equal Rooney’s record 53 strikes for the country with his 17th successful spot kick in England colours (three of which came at the 2018 World Cup in Russia), before missing with his second effort.
It’s the second time Kane has beaten France skipper Hugo Loris from 12 yards, having bagged a penalty against his Spurs colleague in England’s 3-2 friendly defeat to the French in 2017.
It will be the outcome of his second spot kick on the night that he’ll remember, however, missing from the spot for England for the first time in over a year. The last time he did so came in the Euro 2020 semi-final victory over Denmark – that time, though, his on-target effort was parried back into his path by Kasper Schmeichel, allowing him to tuck home from the rebound.
The differing outcomes in that quarter-final heartbreak put his penalty success rate for the Three Lions at 81%.
Kane’s record at club level isn’t too dissimilar at all. For Tottenham, the striker boasts a success rate of 85% from the spot. Discounting a spot kick scored in the Premier League 2 back in 2013, the England skipper has scored 39 penalties and missed seven for Spurs.
Kane has missed twice this campaign already for his club, failing to beat Dean Henderson in a 2-0 Premier League win over Nottingham Forest in August before sending one over the bar (after having netted his first effort from the spot that day, like against France) in a 3-2 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League in October. That aforementioned successful spot kick, however, is one of three he’s scored for Spurs so far this season – all coming in October.
In total, Kane has scored 30 Premier League goals from the spot and missed four penalties in the competition. In the Champions League, he’s netted four penalties and missed just once, while missing both spot kicks he’s taken in the Europa League. Elsewhere, the striker has been successful in domestic cup competitions, scoring two in the FA Cup and one in the League Cup.
Credit: 90min.com
