Declan Rice believes England have never had a better group of penalty takers. He includes himself in that after his emphatic penalty in the Champions League final shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
What happened?
Rice says the squad are perfectly equipped to win at least one penalty shootout to lift the World Cup. Thomas Tuchel has stated that England will probably need to win a penalty shootout to end 60 years of hurt.
Why it matters for Declan Rice
Rice looks at Harry Kane, Ivan Toney, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka, and Jude Bellingham as strong penalty takers. He feels like as the tournament goes on, they will be fully prepared for a potential penalty shootout.
What comes next?
England will play the Democratic Republic of Congo in the last 32 in Atlanta on Wednesday. Rice has studied the keepers and has his own process and technique for taking penalties. He feels confident in his ability to score from the spot.
Rice has never been the strongest penalty-taker, but he feels like over time, he has improved. His penalty in the Champions League final was a turning point for him. He knew where he was going to go and felt really calm.
Harry Kane has an enviable record from the spot, but Rice says the whole entourage of takers have their own process and technique. They don't discuss each other's penalties, but they have a relentless approach to taking them.
Rice thinks that with Harry Kane, it's incredible repetition and his process before the game is even played. He knows if he gets a penalty the next day, where he's going, there's no doubt in his mind.
The England squad has a strong mindset when it comes to taking penalties. They believe in their own process and technique, and they're going to score. Especially with the new balls, from 12 yards, if you hit it hard and well, it's tough to save.
If you put them in the corners, it's really tough to save. So it's about having a process and being strong-minded. Rice is confident that England have the best crop of penalty takers they've ever had, and they're ready for the World Cup knockout stages.