Few players take their first penalty as a professional at a World Cup, but that was exactly the situation David Batty found himself in back in 1998. England's breathless last-16 tie against Argentina had gone to a shootout and it fell to the midfielder to keep his side in the tournament with the fifth spot-kick. The country held its breath as Batty stepped up, only for goalkeeper Carlos Roa to make the save to send Argentina through.
Rather than collapsing to the turf in tears, Batty held his head high. When he emerged from the dressing room that night, he even questioned why his friend and agent, Hayden Evans, had come down from the stands to check on him. It was only when a fast food company later wanted Batty to feature in an advert campaign making light of his penalty miss that he showed his feelings. The angry Yorkshireman did not want to profit off the disappointment of those who had travelled out to the World Cup.
“David Batty's 1998 penalty miss against Argentina is recalled as England face the same rivals in the World Cup semi-final, with a retro shirt deal available.”
Batty's low-key retirement since 2004 has been so complete that former Leeds United teammates, including Rio Ferdinand, Mark Viduka and Jason Wilcox, have no idea where he is. “I don't think anyone has seen him since we played together,” Viduka said. “Everyone was wishing him happy birthday – but he's not even in the group.” Batty's agent knew he would never stay involved with the game. “It was clear from day one that he would never go into coaching,” Evans said. “David has been as good as his word.”
As England prepare to meet Argentina in the knockout stage of the World Cup once more – this time in Wednesday's semi-final in Atlanta – fans can show their support with a retro shirt deal. The 1982 home shirt, worn by Bryan Robson, Terry Butcher and Kevin Keegan in Spain, has been reduced to £35 at Pro:Direct Sport. By signing up for a free TopCashback account with a £21 welcome bonus, the price falls to £13.08 – a saving of £36.92 or roughly 74% from the original £50.
The rivalry between England and Argentina has produced some of the greatest World Cup moments, from Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ to David Beckham’s penalty redemption. Now, as Thomas Tuchel's side face the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi for the first time, Batty's old miss and the £13 shirt serve as reminders of a fixture that has seen it all.