'Mastering mind games is key to handling pressure', Roy Hodgson's men told
Sports shrink Steve Peters may be just the answer to help Three Lions overcome an abysmal record in World Cup penalty shoot-outs
Portugal have Cristiano Ronaldo as their clinical penalty marksman, but if England are thrust into another World Cup sudden-death clash their heads may turn to Steve Peters.
The renowned sports psychologist has been hired to put steel into a squad often shown to lack killer instinct and which has the World Cup's worst penalty shoot-out record.
England lost on penalties in 1990, 1998 and against Ronaldo's Portugal in the 2006 World Cup quarter-finals. Germany, by comparison, have played four and won four.
England are practising penalties "a lot", according to team captain Steven Gerrard, who saw his 2006 penalty saved.
You get feedback from the athlete themselves and then I reflect on what we could have done differently
"It is a difficult situation to put into words and describe it. There is a lot of pressure," he said.