‘I’m no hero’: Andrew Redmayne enters history books as Socceroos reach World Cup

Substitute goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne was the reluctant hero as Australia stunned Peru to clinch a place at a fifth straight World Cup with a dramatic 5-4 penalty shootout victory in the intercontinental playoff in Qatar.

The Sydney FC keeper, brought off the bench by coach Graham Arnold moments before the end of extra-time following 120 goalless minutes at Al Rayyan Stadium, made a decisive dive, low down to his right, to deny Alex Valera with the 12th kick of the shootout.

The defining moment of the game marked the end of a long and winding route to the finals in Qatar for the Socceroos who, despite a wobble earlier in the campaign, managed to secure their place at the tournament later this year in the most dramatic of circumstances.

“I’m not going to take credit,” Redmayne told Channel 10 after full-time in Qatar. “The boys ran out 120 minutes, and it not only takes 11 on the field but the boys on the bench, the boys in the stands. The boys that missed out in their squad as well. It is a team effort, team game, so I can’t take any more credit than any of the others.”

Redmayne – whose distinctive style when facing penalties involves dancing along the goalline and waving his arms about, earning himself the nickname “the grey Wiggle” – replaced captain Mat Ryan in a move that was specifically made to unsettle the Peruvian team.

“This idea was floated pre-selection, that this might happen in these kind of circumstances, and for the two or three weeks we have been here, I have had that in my mind,” Redmayne said. “I’ve been working on a few things in training, but at the end of the day, it is either right or left, the homework has been done and I’m just grateful to the other boys for running at 120 minutes.

“I’m no hero. I