How Steve Evans motivated Rotherham United to Wembley play-off glory in 2014

Evans had already won promotion in his first full season with the Millers, when Collin joined from Carlisle United in the summer of 2013. It was not difficult for the goalkeeper to see why. There was a mental toughness which would pay rich dividends in the League One play-off final.

The game was almost a showcase of what Rotherham and Collin were about mentally. A late surge – their two defeats after New Year’s Day were consecutive away games at Bramall Lane and a 6-4 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers – had seen them finish fourth, behind long-time leaders Leyton Orient on goal difference.

The Os took a 2-0 lead when current Sheffield Wednesday player Moses Odubajo scored and laid on another in five minutes.

The Millers regrouped, Alex Revell scoring twice in five minutes himself before limping off. The game went to penalties and again Russell Slade’s men were front-runners, John Lundstram capitalising on Lee Frecklington’s saved penalty to put them 2-1 up.

This, though, was a never-say-die group. Evans had a lot to do with that.

“Especially as a goalkeeper you’re never quite sure if you’re going to maintain your place but it makes you train properly,” Collin says of a manager who divides opinion.

“You need to be very, very mentally strong.

“During the season, we came from behind to pick up points (23 from losing positions). There was a lot of experience in the squad and some strong characters.”

Collin sensed the belief the moment he arrived.

“That was one of the main reasons I joined,” he says.

“I’d had four successful years in League One with Carlisle (where he is back for a second spell) but the ambition of the club was hammered home to me when I spoke to everyone about signing and that’s why I joined. From the first day in pre-season everybody was focused on promotion.”

That mentality came into its own at half-time.

“We didn’t expect to hammer them but we didn’t expect to come in at half-time 2-0 down either so we were a little bit shell-shocked,” admits Collin.

“It was some strike (Odubajo’s). I didn’t see it until it went past Kari Arnason. The second goal (from Dean Cox) caught us out.

“Steve read the riot act in a way that got us motivated and we all knew we could turn it around.

“His (Revell’s) first goal was a bit of a scramble but the other one was one of the best goals most people have seen at Wembley. It just deflated them, really, and we probably should have won it in normal time.”

When the game went to penalties, Collin was confident too. This was his seventh shoot-out and in each of the previous six, he had saved twice. Many see shoot-outs as free-hits for goalkeepers. Not Collin.

“If I was a goalkeeper who lost a penalty shoot-out and didn’t save one I would be pretty gutted and maybe I’d have felt I let the team down,” he argues. “I’m a winner and this is the chance for a goalkeeper to shine.

“I believe in myself in shoot-out situations but you need a bit of luck too. If you’ve got a good track record in shoot-outs you’re going to have that confidence.

“I try to read them from the moment they put the ball down – how they run up, if they give me the eyes, things like that. I try to make myself as big as I can.”

After three penalties, Collin had been beaten three times. He got low to his left to keep out Mathieu Bradbury, and when Richie Smallwood put Rotherham in front for the first time all day, it came down to Chris Dagnall versus Collin, who dived right in every sense.

“It was a surprise when Frecks missed his penalty, it was a good save by Jamie Jones, and it added a bit more pressure to me,” recalls Collin.

“It (his save from Dagnall) was surreal really because I sort of lost count of the number of penalties. I was halfway up from getting off the ground when I saw the referee blow his whistle.

“The Rotherham fans were at the other end of the stadium so there was this deathly silence until a wall of sound when the noise hit.

“It’s the highlight of my career. The FA Cup and League Cup have lost a bit of magic but it’s still an unbelievable achievement to reach the play-offs and the prize and the disappointment are unbelievable.

“When you’re 2-0 down and you’re behind in the play-offs it makes winning even better. Going up through the play-offs is probably the most enjoyable way to do it and definitely as a goalkeeper to save the penalties in a shoot-out, it’s brilliant.”