Football Manager has worked out the perfect ranking for England penalty takers

We don't need to tell you about England's history with penalty shoot-outs.

We don't need to, but we're going to anyway: over the last 26 years and 11 major competitions, our England have lost five penalty shoot-outs. Something needs to be done about our national complex - and fast.

So, to try and sort it out once and for all, we got in contact with the stat-brained buffs at Football Manager to give us a definitive ranking of who we should be sending up to take our precious spot kicks.

With their abilities marked out of 20, it goes...

football-manager-has-worked-out-the-perfect-ranking-for-england-penalty-takers-1556679283-jc2F-column-width-inline

Jamie Vardy – Penalty Taking: 16

football-manager-has-worked-out-the-perfect-ranking-for-england-penalty-takers-2-1556679284-U1bc-column-width-inline

Wayne Rooney – Penalty Taking: 16

YouTube

Watch On

football-manager-has-worked-out-the-perfect-ranking-for-england-penalty-takers-3-1556679284-xpqM-column-width-inline

John Stones – Penalty Taking: 15

football-manager-has-worked-out-the-perfect-ranking-for-england-penalty-takers-4-1556679284-n7if-column-width-inline

Harry Kane – Penalty Taking: 14

football-manager-has-worked-out-the-perfect-ranking-for-england-penalty-takers-5-1556679285-vlDy-column-width-inline

James Milner – Penalty Taking: 14

football-manager-has-worked-out-the-perfect-ranking-for-england-penalty-takers-6-1556679285-SOVQ-column-width-inline

Daniel Sturridge – Penalty Taking: 12

YouTube

Watch On

football-manager-has-worked-out-the-perfect-ranking-for-england-penalty-takers-7-1556679286-FCDX-column-width-inline

Dele Alli – Penalty Taking: 12

Okay, so this one isn't so impressive.

football-manager-has-worked-out-the-perfect-ranking-for-england-penalty-takers-8-1556679286-DHGE-column-width-inline

Ross Barkley – Penalty Taking: 12

football-manager-has-worked-out-the-perfect-ranking-for-england-penalty-takers-9-1556679287-tr8s-column-width-inline

Jack Wilshere – Penalty Taking: 12

football-manager-has-worked-out-the-perfect-ranking-for-england-penalty-takers-10-1556679287-MBlA-column-width-inline

Danny Rose – Penalty Taking: 10

Nick Pope is a former Shortlist team member and the current Site Director of Esquire, overseeing the digital, video and social media strategy for the brand. He has worked in culture, fashion and lifestyle journalism for over a decade, with a focus on menswear, food and film.