Andy Johnson hopes to remove the worst memory of his career by firing Everton to the Carling Cup final.
Striker hopes to remove the memory of 2001
Andy Johnson hopes to remove the memory of the 'worst moment' of his career by firing Everton to the Carling Cup final.
The striker, who was then at Birmingham, had his decisive penalty saved by Sander Westerveld in the 2001 final shoot-out defeat to Liverpool as the Reds went on to secure their famous cup treble.
And Johnson, who joined Everton in 2006 after a spell with Crystal Palace, admits he is still haunted by his miss at the Millennium Stadium.
But the England forward has set his sights on steering Everton to a semi-final victory over Chelsea on Wednesday in a bid to rid himself of his previous failure.
Gutted
"It was one of the worst moments of my career," Johnson told
The Guardian. "I was gutted, but you have to move on.
"It was the sixth kick and I don't think anyone else wanted to take it so I stepped up.
"When you are young you don't have fear, but I do remember Martin Grainger had taken the second penalty and missed and I'd seen the tears rolling down his cheeks.
"I thought; 'If that's what it can do to an experienced 29-year-old, what's it going to do to me?'
Nervous
"Every time I watch the game now I think I look nervous. It was a half hearted penalty.
"It definitely made me more determined and it made me a stronger person, missing in front of 78,000 and up at the Liverpool end as well.
"I think once you've taken a penalty there and missed, that's probably the worst of the worst.
"So if you miss in a normal game it is obviously as important but not as heartbreaking."
