Taking Penalties may seem reasonably easy, but when the crucial moment arrives the pressure and expectations of fans does put a lot of pressure on the players. It is one of the most nerve racking moments in the game when a player is about to take a penalty. If a players scores from a penalty he becomes an instant hero, on the other hand a penalty miss can often turn the player into a villian easily. This is a specialist commodity as taking penalty is not at all an easy job. There have been players in the history of football that made a name for themselves, and became some of the best penalty takers of all time. Here are 7 of the best penalty takers of all time.
1. Matt Le Tissier
The Southampton Legend Matt Le Tissier has to be the best ever penalty taker of all time. He had an incredible record and still remains one of the greatest penalty record in the history of football. He had a conversion rate of over 95% which was truly remarkable. Le Tissier in his interview has said this numerous times, that he did not have any specific tacting to score off penalties , he just loved smashing the ball at the back of the net. He scored 48 penalties, and is regarded as the best Penalty taker by current as well as past players.
2. Frank Lampard
There should not be any surprise that the great Chelsea Footballer is on the list of best penalty takers of all time. Lampard was simply unstoppable from the penalty spot and was the most trusted player to convert a penalty into a goal in his career. He scored a total 52 penalties and enjoyed a conversion rate of around 92 percent. He often thumped the goal into the back of the net, and hardly gave the chance to goal keepers to stop his penalties.
3. Alan Shearer
At the second spot it is the Newcastle legend Alan Shearer, who was simply breathtaking from the penalty spot. He was perhaps the hardest player to defend against when it came to saving penalties. In his career playing for Southampton, Balackburn Rovers and NewCastle united in the Premier League, he more than 50 goals from the penalty spot.
4.Steven Gerrad
The Liverpool Midfielder made it a habit of scoring penalties throughout his career. He absolutely loved hitting the top corner of the net with his greatest strength being the ability to generate serious pace while striking the ball. Gerrad without a shadow of doubt is one the greatest penalty taker the world of football has ever witnessed. Gerrad had an impressive penalty record, as he scored 24 times from the spot and his conversion rate happens to be 92 percent.
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5. Zinedine Zidane
When it comes to clutch penalty takers, Zidane is truly right up there with the best. The French man netted a lot of big goals in his glittering career. When on song, Zidane was impossible to stop from scoring goals. In the 2006 World Cup, he converted from the penalty spot against Portugal in the semis and then in the summit clash against Italy he again he again displayed his magic and netted a goal. A conversion rate of 94 percent, and recorded 14 goals from the penalty spot. A look at the journey of Zinedine Zidane from great player to successful manager.
6. Christiano Ronaldo
The Portugal legend Christiano Ronaldo is regarded as one of the greatest players to have ever stepped on the football field. During his initial phase of his career, Ronaldo missed a penalty opportunity in the 2008 Champions League final against Chelsea but that made absolutely no difference to him as he continued to play football of the highest quality and became devastating from the penalty spot. Ronaldo’s conversion rate is estimated to be around 94 percent and he has netted 45 penalties.
7. Alessandro Del Piero
The Italian superstar was lethal when it came to scoring from the penalty spot. He just never looked under any sort of pressure when he was about to take a penalty. His placement was exemplary and more often than not found the back of the net and scored for his side. He had a conversion rate of 94 percent and recorded 14 goals from the penalty spot.
Check out here about the "Best Penalty Takers in Premier League"
