Ballymena United's Ross Redman looking to win maiden Irish Cup crown at the fourth attempt

The 33-year-old played in two deciders for hometown club Portadown against Linfield (2010) and Glentoran (2015), which wasn’t short of controversy as David Scullion scored a winner for the Glens shortly after Portadown felt Michael Gault was brought down when clear through on goal.

Redman was also involved in last year’s cruel 2-1 defeat to Crusaders – the opposition once again on Sunday – with the Seaview outfit scoring in the dying seconds of both normal and extra time.

“Let’s just say we’re hoping for a different outcome this time around,” he said.

“The Irish Cup final is the one you want to be in, it’s a privilege to be involved in it.

“I look back on my Portadown days and the first one I played in was at Windsor against Linfield and the second one was against Glentoran at The Oval, and there was a lot of controversy around that one!

“Then I played in last year’s final for Ballymena and we know what happened then.

“It doesn’t come around often. I’ve been around a long time and this is my fourth final.

"Every one of them has been a privilege to be in and it’s always who plays well on the day, wins it.

“We know Crusaders will go into this final as favourites - and rightly so given their league position and the players they have.

“We have to try to make sure we do well on the day, and hopefully get that little bit of luck that gets you through.

“I’m hoping for a different outcome to my previous ones, though.”

The Sky Blues have now reached four Irish Cup finals in the past decade, but you have to go all the way back to 1989 for the last of their five competition triumphs.

A crowd of 7,598 watched this encounter last season and with another healthy attendance expected, Redman is looking to give the Ballymena faithful something to celebrate.

“It’s always nice to win something,” he added.

“I’ve played for a few country clubs and a city club in Glentoran.

“When you get to finals, you always get fans coming out to support you.

"To be fair to Ballymena, since I’ve been there I’ve always found it to be a family club and a really welcoming club.

“The people around the town have been fantastic, in good spells and bad.

“We know this will be a great occasion, but at the end of the day our focus lies with trying to win a game of football and that’s what we have to concentrate on.

“If we can do that, hopefully we will be remembered for bringing the trophy back after so many years.

“But if you don’t go out and perform on the day, with the quality they have, they could brush us to the side very easily.

“We’ve shown we can compete with full-time clubs and we can compete with teams at the top of the league, but we’ve also shown aspects of our game where we’ve struggled.

“If we get everything right on the day, we’ve a fighting chance.”

Victory would also secure a European berth for David Jeffrey’s men, who fell well short of the pace in the Danske Bank Premiership this term, finishing in ninth – 13 points adrift of Glenavon who ended the campaign in seventh spot.

While they have struggled for consistency in the league at times, Ballymena come into the final on an unbeaten run of three matches and knocked out newly-crowned league champions Larne in the semi-final to book their spot at Windsor.

Redman has been a consistent presence in the Ballymena backline and wants to repay Jeffrey for taking a chance when signing him in September 2020.

“I went through a difficult period when I left Glentoran,” he said.

“I’d gone on loan to Dungannon and had just come back from surgery and I wasn’t fit.

“I spoke to Dungannon about that and said they weren’t getting the right player and that right time, but when I went to speak to David, I knew there were a lot of people doubting me and writing me off at that time.

“I thought I had a lot more to give and a lot more to prove in the game and I got myself mentally and physically right.

“David and Bryan [McLoughlin] took a chance on me, to be fair.

"They could very easily have said I was getting too old for them, but they took that chance and hopefully I’ve repaid that faith with performances.

“I’m at the stage now when I feel good physically and mentally and want to keep playing.

“I’ve been in the league 16 or 17 years and as I said, this is my fourth Irish Cup final.

"I know this could be my last, but a lot of people probably said that last year.

“You never know what can happen, so you have to seize the opportunities you get.

“I’ll be trying my best for the team and the club. We’ve got a really great group of lads, and the senior players will try to bring the younger ones through this experience.

“I will want to savour the occasion. I’ve loved my entire time here.

“When you’re enjoying your football, everything seems easier and I want to keep repaying David and his staff.”