In a perverse way, it’s every goalkeeper’s dream for a crucial game to go all the way to penalties – giving them the chance to be the hero rather than the more typically-lauded strikers and number 10s.
Simon Mignolet says that doesn’t interest him, however. He just wants us the finish the job inside 90 minutes.
“One thing I’d like to make clear is that I don’t want to be a hero in the final,” he said (via Echo).
“I don’t think it’s important for any individual to do that. Of course people will decide games like any other but what is most important to me is that we win the final. It doesn’t matter in what kind of way.
“For example, the Norwich game. We conceded four goals but we won the game 5-4 and if we did that again in the final I would be the happiest man on the planet. Winning the final is all important. “Being the hero doesn’t make any difference to me. It can go to extra time and penalties and then of course I would get the chance to help the team and be decisive, but hopefully we can win it inside 90 minutes.”
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If it does go all the way to penalties, he wants fans to know he’s been practicing his Dudek and Grobbelaar impersonations!
“At half-time [in Istanbul] you don’t think it’s going to happen for Liverpool but then they turned it around. Dudek didn’t only make great penalties in the shoot-out but he made a few before that. The final could have been finished before penalties but for his double save from Shevchenko.
“Then he put the strikers off in the shoot-out and delivered for his team and his club.
“I’ve seen what Grobbelaar did against Roma too but I don’t think I’ve got the shaky legs! Let’s leave it there!
“There is so much pressure on the penalty taker so I suppose anything that puts him off will help.”