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Former Manchester City, Liverpool and England goalkeeper James is full of praise for Chelsea star Palmer
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There have been some phenomenal penalty takers throughout Premier League history, from Matt Le Tissier and Alan Shearer to Harry Kane and Bruno Fernandes. For former Liverpool, Manchester City and England gloveman David James, who faced some of the very best from 12 yards over the course of his career, one man stands out above the rest. Eric Cantona, the former Leeds and Manchester United forward, is the finest according to James.
“The best I ever faced was Eric Cantona, ” James tells Four Four Two on behalf of Top Offshore Sports Books. “In the moment, you’re trying to read the body language and, with Eric, he’d either be so nonchalant that you couldn’t tell, or he’d intentionally send you whichever way he wanted with little feints.
“He could evaluate it perfectly as well. Cantona only missed a couple during his time in England and it isn’t hard to see why. ” Cantona’s calm, almost dismissive approach to taking penalties has reminded James of a current Premier League star – Chelsea’s Cole Palmer. The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. The 23-year-old has quickly earned a reputation as one of the Premier League’s most ruthless penalty takers, dispatching them with a coolness beyond his years. “Palmer reminds me of Cantona in terms of that aura from the spot, that nonchalance, ” adds James. “Listen, just like Eric, he doesn’t even tend to put the ball into the corner. He just rolls it into the empty space – just passes it into the back of the net. ”
James faced dozens of penalties in a career spanning three decades, and believes the psychological game Palmer plays is what makes him so difficult to stop. “‘Keepers will be doing their research, ” he says. “I think Palmer actually wants you to do that as you’ll feel confident to go early and that helps him. His reputation helps – goalkeepers start to think they stand even less of a chance against the best players. ” Ed is a staff writer at Four Four Two, working across the magazine and website. A German speaker, he’s been working as a football reporter in Berlin since 2015, predominantly covering the Bundesliga and Germany's national team. Favourite FFT features include an exclusive interview with Jude Bellingham following the youngster’s move to Borussia Dortmund in 2020, a history of the Berlin Derby since the fall of the Wall and a celebration of Kevin Keegan’s playing career. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
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