UK Edition
'Captain of the Watford bench' Heurelho Gomes eyes perfect ending in FA Cup
His contract was up at Tottenham Hotspur the crates were packed, two had already been shipped back to Brazil, and Heurelho Gomes was heading home having been deemed a failure in English football.
Then, the day before his flight five years ago, the goalkeeper got a call from Watford. Gomes left the Vicarage Road pitch on Saturday, for probably the last time as his contract is up at the end of the season and he is second-choice to Ben Foster in the Premier League, with the dream still alive of finishing his career by helping the club win its first-ever major trophy.
There were tears in Gomes’s eyes – but it felt a very long time ago that the 38-year-old was accused of crying because he could not cope with the physicality of the Premier League and, specifically, the aerial bombardment goalkeepers were subjected to by Tony Pulis’ Stoke City.
No-one is calling Gomes a Premier League failure now even if he has not played in the division this season after Foster, who has been outstanding – the best English goalkeeper in the top-flight – joined from relegated West Bromwich Albion.
Instead Gomes has been what his team-mate Adalberto Penaranda has called the “captain of the bench” and a senior figure in the dressing room. Watford head coach Javi Gracia has used him the cup competitions and with victory over Crystal Palace Gomes will hope to retain his place for the forthcoming FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
“I’m desperate to win this trophy,” the 38-year-old said. “When I started to play football I used to win a lot but I’m a long time now without a trophy, so I’m missing that.
“I think this is my last chance of another trophy. I played in the semi-final with Tottenham and we lost to Portsmouth and I didn’t play when we got there with Watford a few years ago. This cup is famous - everyone knows about it.”
There is a cohesion at Watford, which has not always been there in the past, as Gomes admitted. “I feel that most of the players have been together for a long time now,” he said. “We understand that in the past seasons we could have done better. To do better you have to be focused and sometimes previously we lost our focus.”
Gracia can take significant credit for this and he was pleased at what happened after the game. “In the dressing room, you can see Ben Foster is the first player to congratulate Heurelho,” the Spaniard said.“We’ve got very important players that they are always thinking to be an example for the rest.”
Gomes, who will become an agent and a pastor, an interesting combination, when he retires, only had one important save to make against a disappointing Palace side who sorely missed the injured Wilfried Zaha, as he turned away Max Meyer’s header. Gomes was beaten by Michy Batshuayi, who capitalised on an Adrian Mariappa mistake to draw Palace level, but having taken the lead through Etienne Capoue they deservedly went on to win the tie through a volley by substitute Andre Gray to spark jubilant scenes of celebration. And tears.