Darren Randolph believes winning the Emirates FA Cup would be the perfect farewell, as West Ham United prepare to leave their Upton Park home.
The Hammers are set to move three miles down the road to the Olympic Stadium at the end of this season, bringing to an end their 112-year stay at the famous Boleyn Ground.
And Randolph, who has featured in all of West Ham’s FA Cup ties so far this term, says parading the trophy in an open-top bus circling the streets of E13 would be a fitting way to end an era.
West Ham United v Blackburn Rovers
Emirates FA Cup
Fifth round
Upton Park
2pm Sunday 21 February
Winning sides receive £180,000 from The FA prize fund
“It would be a great way to leave the Boleyn Ground, with some silverware. We’ve got a great chance,” said the 28-year-old, whose team take on Blackburn Rovers in the fifth round on Sunday.
“We put out a strong team in every round. We’ve got a good squad, so we are able to put out a strong team. So, hopefully we can get through on Sunday and then it’s on to the next round.
“This season of all seasons it would be nice to have a good cup run.”
Randolph reached the Scottish Cup final with former club Motherwell in 2011, losing 3-0 to Celtic.
Despite the magnitude of the occasion and playing in front of almost 50,000 fans at Hampden Park, Irish stopper still considers the experience too painful to recall.
Watch highlights of West Ham's fourth round win over Liverpool
But a first-ever outing at Wembley Stadium come May would certainly go some way to easing his pain.
“I’ve never played at Wembley. I was with the Irish team when we played a friendly against England but I didn’t play, I just watched,” he added.
“That’s one of my dreams. It would be nice, especially in the FA Cup.
“I got to the Scottish Cup final and lost. It’s still painful”
Darren Randolph
“I got to the Scottish Cup final and lost. It’s still painful, I’ve never watched it back. We lost 3-0 to Celtic at Hampden, I don’t need to watch that back again.”
The Hammers could be forgiven for thinking Sunday’s trip to Ewood is just a walk in the park.
They got this far after defeating Liverpool in the fourth round and will be roared on by 7,200 hopeful fans from London in Lancashire.
But Randolph has warned against complacency.
“It’s one round further on in the Cup and Blackburn are going to be up for the game, they are going to want an upset,” said Randolph.
“Expecting to beat Blackburn because we beat Liverpool would be the worst thing we could do. We are going to have to expect a tougher game in some ways, the last thing we can do is underestimate them.
“We have faith and belief that we can put in a solid away performance. Everybody that has come in has played and is on top of their game at the moment. That’s all a manager could want.”
