Former Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho has insisted that Harry Kane’s penalty technique is ‘impossible’ to ‘replicate’.
Kane found the back of the net on six occasions from the penalty spot for Spurs last season under the management of the Portuguese.
Mourinho revealed that such is Kane’s meticulous planning, he knows ahead of each game exactly how he would approach the penalty and spends time on the training pitch in the build-up to the game practising.
The 58-year-old was asked ahead of England’s Euro 2020 clash against old foes Germany what Kane would likely do if he had to take a penalty during the match.
Kane’s performances during the last three matches for England had seen him come in for criticism from some sections of the media (Sky Sports) but answered his doubters in the best possible way by netting England’s second goal and his first of the tournament.
Mourinho told talkSPORT: “In the Harry Kane situation, there is something I learned from Harry.
“Which is the fact that, when he goes to the game, he knows, if there is a penalty, he knows how he is going to take it.
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“It’s not like in the last moment he makes a decision and in the last moment he changes his mind.
“Harry decides before the game, a few days before the game, he decides how he is going to take it.
“And then he spends three or four days before the game practicing that shot.
“I just love that because, I feel that one thing is to take a penalty in a normal match, another is to take a penalty on a decision of this kind of dimension.
“There is enough pressure. Probably your central nervous system is not ready for you after 120 minutes to go there and to be completely cool, fresh, look to the keeper, make your decision in relation to the movement that the keeper makes.
“I believe really that you have to go on a decision already made.
“I am probably one of the top coaches with the worst records on penalty shootouts.
“That means that I think a lot about it and try to feel and to understand the best way to do it.
“I know that my players that miss penalties on these big occasions were the players that changed their mind while they were running to the ball.
“I think it’s very important – like Harry was saying – you can miss, but make a decision before.”
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