Australia goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne insists he is “no hero” after his controversial penalty antics secured his country’s place at the World Cup.
Redmayne replaced captain Mat Ryan as a shootout loomed during the latter stages of extra-time in Monday night’s tense AFC/CONMEBOL Intercontinental play-off clash against Peru in Al Rayyan, with Socceroos coach Graham Arnold’s calculated gamble paying off handsomely.
The substitute, who had not featured in a qualifier previously and was earning just his third senior international cap aged 33, ended up saving Alex Valera’s spot-kick to secure a 5-4 victory for Australia after a goalless draw and a place in Qatar this winter.
However, such a triumph will likely be remembered for Redmayne’s actions before each Peru penalty, which saw him attempt to put off the taker with some bizarre dancing, jumping, waving and general wiggling across the goalline.
There were shades of Bruce Grobbelaar as he became an instant internet sensation, with the merits and fairness of such an approach debated long into the night across social media.
Redmayne’s crucial save sparked scenes of pandemonium on the pitch and back home in Australia, though he was eager to play down his role after the match.
Andrew Redmayne was the hero for Australia... in so many ways🕺😂
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“If I could gain 1 or 2 per cent by doing something stupid and making a fool of myself, then I was going to do it,” he said of his shootout antics.
“I only played a tiny part, I don’t think I’m a hero or anything. The boys put in a hell of a shift to run out 120 minutes against a really good opposition.”
Redmayne added that his dancing perplexed Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic, who believed he was trying to provoke Peru’s players and warned they would have to consult VAR.
“I think he was a bit bemused about my antics, he threatened a yellow card a couple of times for trying to provoke players, I said I wasn’t doing that,” he said.
“(He) said to me the last two penalties: ‘If you save this you win but don’t go running off celebrating because we need to check on VAR because you move around a lot’’”
Australia will be placed in Group D for this year’s World Cup, which begins in November, alongside defending champions France, Denmark and Tunisia.
It will be their fifth consecutive appearance at football’s biggest tournament, with the Socceroos having not failed to qualify for the competition since 2002.
Before 2006, when they achieved their best finish to date by reaching the last-16 in Germany, they had not reached the finals since their debut in 1974.
Asked about his risk to swap goalkeepers before the shootout, Aussie coach Arnold told reporters: “He’s a very good penalty saver and I did something that could affect them mentally.
“They were probably asking themselves the question, ‘Why is this guy being brought on? He has to be good’.
