- Andrew Redmayne was in the Socceroos squad for recent friendlies
- Goalkeeper ‘knows his role’ under coach Graham Arnold
- I’m flying from London to Sydney to play for Sydney FC on Saturday
- The 34-year-old will face Melbourne Victory in ‘Big Blue’
Socceroos star Andrew Redmayne has achieved more than most in his football career, but even the goalkeeper had a ‘pinch me’ moment when Australia played England at Wembley recently.
While the Three Lions won 1-0, Graham Arnold’s men won many admirers thanks to the way they took the game to their rivals.
Redmayne was on the bench and although he didn’t get any time on the pitch, being part of the matchday squad in the ‘home of football’ was an experience he will always cherish.
“It was huge and definitely on my bucket list,” Redmayne, who became a sporting cult hero after his heroics in the penalty shoot-out win against Peru in a World Cup qualifier last June, told Daily Mail Australia.
“I know my role in the team, Matty (Ryan) has been around for a long time and is the first choice.
Andrew Redmayne had a ‘pinch me’ moment when the Socceroos took on England in a recent friendly at Wembley
The 34-year-old will fly from London to Sydney via Perth before playing for the Sky Blues in the A-League on Saturday night
“Looking around and seeing 80,000 fans was a bit surreal to be honest, I just made sure I took it all in.”
Redmayne was on the pine tree again on Wednesday morning as Australia beat New Zealand 2-0 to secure the ‘Soccer Ashes’ in Brentford – and now faces a 24-hour flight home so he can line up for Sydney FC in their season opener against Melbourne Victory at Allianz Stadium on Saturday evening.
“In the past I would have done this university work, but now that that’s done, I’m going to dive into a book and try to get some sleep,” the shot-stopper said.
“It’s always great to play for Sydney FC, our pre-seasons are long, the guys from Europe have played about 15 games and we haven’t started yet.
“But it is what it is, I like playing in the A-League. “Victory, the Big Blue, for our fans, first, I can’t wait.”
The 34-year-old also tips Brazilian recruit Fabio Gomes to make an immediate impact on the competition.
“He is quality, he showed what he can do in the Australian Cup final with two goals,” he said.
‘On the whole, we now have more balance in the team, I am confident that we will hold our own.’