Australian hero keeper says water-bottle act was ‘kill or be killed’
The 33-year-old Redmayne became an Internet sensation after dancing his way along the goal line as Peru’s players prepared to take their penalty kicks in an attempt to put them off.
He was lauded as a national hero in Australia with his save of Alex Valera’s spot-kick that gave the Socceroos a 5-4 win on penalties on Tuesday in Doha and a place at a fifth straight World Cup.
Footage later emerged of the bearded Redmayne, who had only come on for the final minutes of extra time as a ploy for the shootout, picking up a water bottle belonging to Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese between penalty kicks.
Redmayne is seen throwing the bottle — which is thought to have had a cheat sheet on it showing where the Australians might place their spot-kicks — away behind the goal.
“Yeah, that happened, we spoke about it,” Redmayne told reporters after Australia landed home in Sydney on Wednesday night.
“If we had notes on our drink bottle and if someone saw that, it would have been thrown a long way away.
“I know how much it means to the boys so it was kind of like a kill or be killed moment, so I took my moment.”
Notes affixed to a water bottle detailing where a player is likely to place their penalty kick has been a familiar tactic for goalkeepers in shootouts.
Redmayne’s gamesmanship has not gone down well in Peru, with broadcaster Movistar Deportes tweeting footage of what it called the “dirty” play.
