David James faced heavy criticism and was booed by the Anfield crowd on Sunday after he denied a young Liverpool fan the chance to score during a charity penalty shoot-out event. The incident occurred during half-time of the Premier League match between Liverpool and Chelsea, where James returned to his former club to promote Standard Chartered’s community programme, ‘Future Makers.’
In front of the home supporters, a young fan clad in Liverpool colours stepped up to take a penalty kick, aiming for the bottom corner. However, the former England international took the moment too seriously, diving to his right to make a save, much to the dismay of the crowd.
The young boy was given a second opportunity to score, but again James thwarted his efforts, saving the penalty once more and leaving the child “absolutely gutted,” according to Guardian journalist Sachin Nakrani. Images surfaced showing James playfully diving the wrong way for an adult male fan’s shot, which went in, further highlighting the inconsistency of his approach.
Typically, goalkeepers allow fans an easy chance to score in such charity events, but James seemed oblivious to this unwritten rule. While some on social media found humor in the situation, others were outraged. One fan remarked on X, “As an ex-pro keeper, you should’ve made sure you didn’t save that second pen and allowed that young lad to score a penalty in front of the Kop. Would’ve been a fantastic memory for him.” Another user labelled James a “d*d for his behaviour,” expressing disappointment that he found the situation amusing, adding, “He will never get that chance again.”
This incident drew comparisons to the infamous clip from ‘Michael Owen’s Soccer Skills,’ where Owen scored repeatedly against a young goalkeeper, Jamie Hutchinson, without regard for the child’s feelings. Neville Southall, who was coaching Hutchinson, famously commented, “Well done, he’s 13.”