Practice makes perfect for Shrewsbury skipper Luke Leahy
Shrewsbury Town skipper Luke Leahy says he takes 60 to 70 penalties a week to practice for a match day.
The Town skipper, who has started every one of Salop's League One games this season, has a 100 per cent record from 12 yards.
He has been in fine goal-scoring form this season netting a career-best tally of 11 goals across all competitions - eight of those have been from the spot.
Leahy said his record is down to the amount of practice he puts in during training, and he revealed the number of penalties he takes during the week.
He said: "Penalties. I practice every day, so all those penalties in training.
"If we are training for a full week then I probably take 60 or 70 penalties a week.
"I need to put myself in a situation where come the game on a Saturday or Tuesday I am ready.
"In possession, it is about arriving in the box at the right time, following a forward pass, and seeing who is on the ball.
"If it is Elliott Bennett I know what sort of cross is coming in and if it is Shippers (Jordan Shipley) on the other side I know it might be more of a whipped cross that might come across the front.
"So it is all about learning and different runs and seeing who is crossing the ball."
After Town's recent form, they have dropped down to 11th in the League One table, but it has still been a season of positives for Steve Cotterill's men.
One of those positives has been the scoring form of their captain.
He says adding goals to his game has been something he has been looking to improve.
And the practice he does on the training ground is what has helped him to deal with high-pressure moments, like the penalty he scored at Pride Park in front of more than 30,000 with Shrews trailing by a goal.
He said: "It is just knowing what I am going to do.
"I do the same amount of footsteps I do the same amount of deep breathing, so it is just putting myself in that situation to be calm.
"And like I say I take 60 or 70 penalties a week so what is one more on Saturday."
