Andrew Redmayne dances into Aussie sporting lore

Andrew Redmayne has danced his way straight into Australian sporting folklore as the unlikeliest of heroes in the Socceroos’ World Cup triumph over Peru.

Thrust into the fray in the dying minutes of the sudden-death encounter in Doha, the bearded Sydney FC shot-stopper was the star of the penalty shootout that sent Australia to a fifth-straight World Cup finals.

Eyebrows were raised throughout the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium when coach Graham Arnold boldly thrust Redmayne into the fray at the expense of captain Maty Ryan.

It was a decision which paid off in spades however with Redmayne reprising the Wiggles-style dance moves that he displayed in the 2019 A-League grand final win over Perth by saving the decisive penalty from Alex Valera.

“I’m no hero,” Redmayne told Network Ten after the win.

“I just played my role like everyone else did tonight ... it was a team effort.”

Redmayne’s introduction for the shootout at the end of 120 goalless minutes may have shocked those watching at the ground and back home but it was no surprise for Australia’s players or staff.

“This idea was floated pre-selection that this might eventuate in these kind of circumstances,” he said.

“The two-three weeks that we’ve been here I’ve kind of been having that in my mind and I’ve been working on a few things at training.

“But at the end of the day it’s a flip of the coin, it’s either right or left.

“The work’s been done, the homework’s been done and like I said I’m grateful for the other boys that are running out 120 minutes.”

Nonetheless the enduring image of another famous Australian play-off win will be Redmayne, smiling broadly, after making the match-winning save as his teammates rush towards him.

For Arnold, it was a decision that was taken with some forethought in mind.

“Maty Ryan is a fantastic goalkeeper, but Andrew Redmayne is very good penalty saver,” Arnold said.

“When it gets to that stage of the game ... I did something that could affect them mentally.

“Probably they were asking themselves the question when they see Redmayne come on or a goalkeeper come on ‘why has he brought him on?’

“He must be quite good. Maybe that’s the reason they hit the post and they then thought maybe, they’ve got to put it closer to inside the post.

“It’s mainly just a one per-center mentally to try to affect the Peruvian penalty takers.

“It was a risk, but it worked out.”