ENGLAND'S perfect set of penalties was no accident according to their players and staff.
The five from five record was the result of careful practice, mental preparation and the help of a former top Dutch striker.
Speaking after England's dramatic quarter-final win, Jude Bellingham pinpointed the influence of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink for helping England’s spot-kick stars set up a semi with the Netherlands.
Former Chelsea and Leeds star Hasselbaink, 52, joined Gareth Southgate’s backroom staff as an assistant coach in March last year.
The 23-cap Holland striker, who was a lethal finisher in his day, played a key role in preparing England’s takers in Saturday’s shoot-out victory over the Swiss - teeing up a last-four clash with his nation.
Bellingham, who stroked home the second of England’s five perfect penalties, told 5 Live: “I was really confident in my preparation and the things I’d talked through with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
“He’s stepped up for us massively.
“It’s the work he does behind closed doors with the lads willing to take on that information that put us in those situations to be able to win.”
Southgate spoke glowingly after the game of his five takers - Cole Palmer, Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney and Trent Alexander-Arnold - as well as goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who saved Switzerland’s first spot-kick from Manuel Akanji, despite not being able to follow his "usual process".
All five of England's takers finished with aplomb as the Three Lions showed their practice and preparation had paid off.
Palmer, fresh off the back of scoring ten penalties in ten for Chelsea nonchalantly struck the ball into the net to open before Bellingham's stuttered run up sent the keeper the wrong way for his.
Saka, who was England's brightest spark in normal and added time then bravely dispatched England's third, banishing the painful memories of his miss in the Euro 2020 final against Italy.
Toney's fourth then stunned everyone as he took a no-look penalty in which he did not break eye contact with the Swiss keeper.
The Brentford striker utilised his trademark two-step run up which it was revealed he honed last summer with a coach in the US.
Bob Jeffrey, a goalkeeping director at Tennessee Soccer Club revealed the two honed a technique that saw Toney practice from 13 yards rather than 12.
Speaking to The Times, Jeffrey explained: "It [His training] was fascinating to watch.
"Because in practice he takes them from 13 yards, not 12 yards.
“I asked him: ‘Ivan, why are you taking them from 13 yards?’ He said, ‘Well, when it comes to a game, and I take them from 12 yards, the goal looks bigger.’”
He added that Toney piles pressure on himself in training to help him prepare for the big moments and said: "But the thing that impressed me most was the detail in everything [Toney] did. He never went through the motions. It was like every single shot was to win the World Cup."
The crucial final penalty fell to Trent Alexander-Arnold, on as a sub in the 115th minute purely to take a pen to finish it off for England.
Alexander-Arnold's strike looked like one of his free-kicks, whipped across his body into the top left corner.
The full-back said the secret to England's success was the fact that so many of their takers are also designated takers for their clubs, making them immune to pressure when it comes to stepping up for England.
He said: "A lot of practice goes into that moment. When the gaffer tells me I am taking one, my belly does not drop. I enjoy it. I practise it. I knew what spot I just needed to execute it."
Southgate highlighted the role back-up goalkeepers Aaron Ramsdale and Dean Henderson, as well as training stopper Tom Heaton, for helping prepare the team for the pressure-cooker situation of a shootout.
Bellingham, 21, echoed those comments by saying: “This is a massive team effort.
“Dean Henderson, Aaron Ramsdale and Tom Heaton, who have been with us this camp, have been huge in helping us practise the penalties.
“They won’t get the credit they deserve but essentially if they don’t put in the right effort we don’t get to practise properly.
“And in those moments you don’t have the right practice to go out and execute.
“There is so much that goes into it now. You are always trying to find the edge in every game.”
Speaking after the game, Pickford revealed his usual penalty routine had been interrupted.
He said: "Firstly, the referee didn't let me do my usual process so I had to adapt tonight, I like to give the lads a ball for a bit of calm and focus.
"I could only do it on the first one and luckily I saved it.
"I trust my process and what I do and I'll save one but massive respect to the lads they stepped up to score all five the way they did - huge credit."
Images also emerged of Pickford's extensive list of data showing where all 26 players in the Swiss squad like to put their pens.
Tellingly, one of the instructions was "Akanji, dive left" which the 30-year-old did to crucially deny the Swiss the first penalty.
Bellingham also revealed how the "awful memories" of England penalties of yesteryear also contributed to his motivation in the shoot -out.
The midfielder said: "It’s a first for me to be involved in one, to take one.
“I have awful memories kind of growing up and I think the first Euro that I was really interested in was the one against Italy [Euro 2012] with the dink from [Andrea] Pirlo.
“It kind of stains your memory a little bit, you always think ‘England in penalty shoot-outs, I’m not sure’, but it’s really nice to have that experience to add to the locker now.”
England's perfect shootout sets up a tantalising encounter with Holland in the semi-finals of the Euros on Wednesday.
Ubong12
187
Not by Power nor by might, No secret to it, God did it!!! Simple,👌🏼