Owen Goodman is staying ice cool ahead of AFC Wimbledon’s League Two play-off final against Walsall on Monday.
The Dons are one step away from a return to England’s third tier.
Goodman, on a season-long loan from Crystal Palace, has kept 24 clean sheets in all competitions – including both legs of their play-off semi-final win over Notts County.
The 21-year-old was recently named in the EFL League Two of the Season.
Despite the high stakes at the start of next week for Wimbledon, it is exactly the kind of spotlight that Goodman wants to be under.
“It is exciting, obviously,” the keeper told the **South London Press**. “It’s a big stage, to get to play at Wembley, but it’s a play-off final where you get to get the club promoted. But, for me, I see it as another game to prove myself – to show myself to people.
“We’re working hard this week and all looking forward to the final on Monday.
“Situations like these, you dream of them as a kid. When we are young and want to be professional footballers – these are the situations you want to be in. We all watch Premier League and Champions League growing up – they are a lot bigger than the play-off final but the play-off final is massive in this country. You’ll probably have people watching worldwide.
“I was on my phone now and Wimbledon have already sold 20,000 tickets. Walsall probably are not far off either. So I reckon Wembley is going to have 50-60,000 – that is a big crowd. It could be one of the biggest crowds I play in front of, bar when we played Newcastle this season.
“You have just got to enjoy the occasion. I feel I’m a player who thrives on big games and big occasions. I’m just calm. I’ll enjoy it.”
So how much homework does he tend to do on the opposition, particularly their attackers?
“I won’t look at them too much,” said Goodman. “We have played Walsall twice this season, so we know what they are about and what their players are about. We might watch a little five-minute video on them – us goalkeepers as a whole. We might well look at their penalties and do our homework on that stuff.
“But I’m not a big advocate on doing loads and looking at the opposition because if you’re a goalkeeper then every shot is going to be the same. You never know where they are going to hit it and how they’re going to hit it. As a keeper you have just got to react. You can’t go and chase something – as a keeper you have to react to the situation.”
Goodman has only been to Wembley once – as a spectator to watch Bromley lose the FA Trophy final to Brackley in 2018. On that occasion it went to a penalty shootout after finishing 1-1.
That could be the scenario again if Wimbledon and Walsall cannot be separated.
“I’ve never felt pressure in a penalty shootout,” said Goodman. “I still believe the pressure is all on the player taking the penalty. At the end of the day if you dive the right way and he has not put it right in the corner or top corner then you give yourself a chance.
“Some keepers will have their own way to go in penalty shootouts or do their homework and look at players. I’ll have my way and hope the luck falls on your side that day, so that you can be a hero for the team.”
PICTURES: KYLE ANDREWS