Sydney FC goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne looked back on his life changing experience at English giant Arsenal, one that he has used to better his game since returning home.
Redmayne was invited to a trial with the Gunners in 2005 after impressing in a friendly on a European tour with the New South Wales Institute of Sport when he was just 16 years of age.
Unfortunately for the Gosford native, the club eventually chose to sign Polish stopper Wojciech Szczesny, marking the end of his Premier League dream.
Now 30 years old, Redmayne joined Evenings on FNR and admitted that this experience is one that he will never forget and is something from which he learned a lot in order to improve his career.
“They really were at the peak of their powers, in their last season at Highbury,” Redmayne said.
“It was a surreal experience and something I still look back on and treasure to this day,
“It was a fantastic learning experience at the time, and one that’s really inspired me to push harder in my footballing endeavours.”
Surrounding himself with legends of the European game such as Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas, Redmayne spoke fondly of the Arsenal stars off the pitch.
“I’ve got a funny story about Ljungberg at the time, he had some good banter about him,” Redmayne said.
“I was fortunate enough to play table tennis against Cesc Fabregas. He absolutely schooled me and he was on the phone at the same time!”
“It’s things like that that I can really look back on with a bit of a smile and it’s something that I really enjoyed at the time.”
Redmayne also spoke of his experiences watching his teams win three A-League Grand Finals from the bench as the second goalkeeper behind the likes of Michael Theo and Danny Vukovic.
“I kind of said through my career that everything is going to happen for a reason,” Redmayne said.
“Maybe I wasn’t quite ready, and the education that I had off the likes of Theo and Vuka have held me in such great stead to further my career now,
“It’s fantastic to be part of a championship and I believe it takes a strong squad to win a championship, and I think it’s so humbling and rewarding to be part of those amazing achievements.”
Redmayne’s Sydney FC prepare to take on Adelaide United at Leichardt Oval on Friday night looking to consolidate second spot on the ladder.
