Emile Heskey Praises James Milner’s Penalty Prowess

In case there was any dobut, James Milner is our primary penalty taker. When he’s on the pitch, he’s the one stepping up to the spot. And he’s pretty good at them too, even slotting some late pens this year and last in order to secure all three points.

Of course, under his calm exterior is years of practice and know-how. But that isn’t just from being around a footy pitch for a very long time at the highest level, no it takes practice. And Milly’s former teammate and former Red Emile Heskey is here to tell you all about it.

“He was our penalty taker at Villa” Heskey explained to Liverpool’s official website. “He’s so good at them because of practice.

“He knows what he wants, he knows what he wants to do. He’s so calm and confident with it. Nothing fazes him.

“You see him training [on them] during training and after training. That sums up James Milner.

“He was huge. Not only a leader on the pitch, but off the pitch as well.”

This can hardly seem shocking. Milner comes off as a consummate professional. Of course his coolness from the spot comes from somewhere, specifically from hours and hours of training, over many years.

The interview is an interesting insight—a peek behind the curtains—into Milner and his professionalism and leadership.

Of course, this also ensures that Milner will 100% miss the next penalty, because jinxing is a thing that exists in sports. Hopefully it’ll be when we’re already up 5 goals at Old Trafford.