TIM KRUL was a genie with a bottle as he sprinkled FA Cup magic on Norwich City and achieved his childhood dream of being a shootout hero.
He saved two penalties after writing the names of Tottenham‘s spot-kick takers on his water bottle, plus their predicted way of shooting.
And after the 3-2 shootout win following a 1-1 draw earned the Premier League’s bottom side a quarter-final tie at home to Derby or Manchester United, Krul lifted the lid on his “big emotions”.
He was slated by some observers for taking his time between Spurs penalties.
But maybe that dubious tactic worked as he blocked spot-kicks from Troy Parrott and Gedson Fernandes, while Erik Lamela hit the bar.
The delighted Dutchman sprinted the length of the pitch to celebrate with the Canaries’ 9,000 travelling fans and told the BBC: “When this happens you realise why you do it for.
“As a little boy you want to save penalties and get your club through to the next round. Big emotions today.
“I was so close to the first one but me and my goalie coach are always doing the homework. I had it on my bottle.
“I think I mixed up one of the players but it all happens in the shootout, with the nerves and adrenaline.”
It means Tottenham chief Jose Mourinho has now lost all seven shootouts as a manager in England.
And it put Norwich in the last eight for the first time in 28 years.
Jan Vertonghan had found an embarrassing amount of space to thud home a headed opener for Spurs early on.
But Josip Drmic took the tie into its goalless extra time by bundling home on 78 minutes.
Then, even if Norwich’s name turns out not to be written on the cup, the key to their victory was maybe a message on a bottle to leave Tottenham canned.
