21 August 2022
He became an instant Australian sporting hero when he produced the performance of his career in the World Cup qualifying game against Peru.
Substituted into the game by coach Graham Arnold in what was one of the biggest calls in Australian sport, Redmayne replaced Socceroos captain Matt Ryan for the penalty shoot out to decide a sport in the FIFA World Cup later this year.
Dubbed the ‘Grey Wiggle’, Redmayne’s unorthodox antics of dancing in the goal and waving his arms worked as he successfully put off the Peru penalty takers before saving one diving to his right to send Australia to another World Cup.
A remarkable effort considering he was on the verge of quitting professional soccer a few years earlier after stints at his home club the Mariners, Brisbane Road, Melbourne City, West Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC, where he won back-to-back A League Titles – before becoming an unlikely Australian sporting hero.
In time, Andrew hopes daughter Poppy will be as proud of his efforts on the soccer field as the rest of Australia that one day in June.
“It meant the world to me Poppy was able to see me wearing the green and gold … she won’t remember it, but I certainly will, and it’ll be a memory that I’ll cherish forever,” Andrew said “She came to the game in Melbourne and was able to come onto the pitch afterward- it was a moment I had dreamt of ever since starting a family.
“She changed the routine on a lot of things and made me think about the bigger picture of life, such as asking for a long-term contract to have security to ensure her future as much as ours.”
Without sounding cliched Andrew enjoys EVERYTHING about being a dad. He enjoys cooking, bathtime, changing nappies, bedtime, getting up overnight, to letting me sleep in. We are a great team. He is a great cook, so I think he enjoys watching Poppy enjoy his food. I also think he really enjoys taking Poppy to the park and playing outside with her
Caitlin