Socceroos goalkeeping hero Andrew Redmayne became a national hero for his Wiggles-style goalkeeping antics, but he'll also be remembered for his long beard.
Redmayne's crazy-eyed antics helped the national team overcome Peru in a penalty shootout and qualify for the World Cup on Tuesday, sending waves of joy and shock through the country.
Darryl Darke, his first goalkeeping coach, may well be the influence behind Redmayne's beard.
The keeper's unusual style earned him the nickname of the "Grey Wiggle".
Mr Darke has a long beard, just like his protege.
"I started it," Mr Darke quipped. "When he was 14, he said to me 'when I grow up, I'm gonna look like you'. I had the shaved head and big beard like Ned Kelly."
Redmayne played for Central Coast youth representatives sides, then known as the Lakers and Coasties.
"I think he had two years at the Lakers in the under-11s and 12s. He was doing well, so he went to the Coasties and had two years there, then he got picked in the state under-14s and went to the NSW Institute of Sport," Mr Darke said.
Asked if Redmayne had a comic side back then, like he showed with his Wiggles' moves and wild facial expression after the Socceroos victory, Mr Darke said: "He was always quite earnest, actually. When he came to train, he came to train."
Redmayne had a stint at the Central Coast Mariners in 2007-08, but now plays for Sydney FC.
Mr Darke, who coached Redmayne from the ages of 10 to 14, said he was an "intelligent and articulate" kid.
"You could see that from the interview when he talked after the game. He was like that at 12. He was like a 40-year-old man in a 12-year-old body."
Mr Darke said Redmayne "asked the right questions and worked his guts out" during training.
"He didn't have the natural talent, but he had determination to be successful."
Redmayne played his junior football with Gosford City Dragons Football Club. Steve Gibbs was his teammate.
"I didn't see any evidence of the Grey Wiggle back then," Mr Gibbs quipped.
"The season I really remember was the under-8s. We were in the 8-2s, we weren't even in the 8-1s. He played a lot at centre back. He just read the game well. He was player of the year."
Redmayne was passionate about the game.
"Funny story, we lost 7-0 to Budgewoi one week and he put on the waterworks and my mum gave him a hug.
"I said, 'Mum, you got us to the World Cup. If you hadn't been so supportive, he might have given up the game'."
After Redmayne's heroics, Mr Gibbs said his first instinct was "wow, I used to play with that guy".
"It's so good to see him go on to bigger and better things. It's important to tell all our youngsters that this guy played for us."
Redmayne played for Gosford for five years from the under-6s.
"It was so exciting to see a Gosford boy get us into the World Cup," club president Col Seggie said.
