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Did England's World Cup 2018 shoot-out win lift the penalty hoodoo? (VIDEO)

As England step up preparations for this evening’s Euro 2020 last-16 match against Germany, the eyes of the nation – and the world – will be on London's Wembley Stadium.

With the prospect of the dreaded penalty shoot-out at the back of many minds, Dr David Fletcher, Senior Lecturer in Performance Psychology and Management, discusses whether Gareth Southgate’s side have now overcome the apprehension of penalty kicks in major tournaments, following the victory over Colombia in the 2018 World Cup.

Speaking to Loughborough University, Dr Fletcher said:

“The golden rule in sport psychology is to control the controllables. You can control when you walk up to the penalty spot…when you put the ball down, how you move back, where you look with your eyes…it’s blanking out the crowd and the goalkeeper.

“However, nothing quite beats being successful and winning shoot-outs…hopefully [if the time comes], we can shake off some of the heartbreak of previous competitions and be successful.”

For all media requests for Dr Fletcher, please contact publicrelations@lboro.ac.uk.

Notes for editors

Press release reference number: 21/120

Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2020 QS World University Rankings and University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2019.

Loughborough is in the top 10 of every national league table, being ranked 7th in the Guardian University League Table 2021, 5th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020 and 6th in The UK Complete University Guide 2021.

Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

The Loughborough University London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.

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