Dundee United goalkeeper Dusan Pernis will be an oasis of calm amid the Tannadice tension when he faces AEK Athens, despite playing such a crucial role.
The Greeks will bring a wealth of talent and experience of continental competition with them when they arrive in Scotland on Wednesday ahead of Thursday’s Europa League play-off round first leg.
However, it is doubtful they will possess any player cooler or more relaxed than Pernis, despite the Slovakian shot-stopper having the job of keeping the AEK strikers at bay.
With away goals such a valuable commodity in this or any other European encounter, he will be given the Spartan duty of sending the Athenians home without one.
It will not worry him in the slightest, though, and his track record at this level he has faced Aston Villa, Newcastle, German club Freiburg, Hadjuk Split of Croatia and Serbian side Partizan Belgrade makes him United’s most experienced Euro campaigner.
Even renewed speculation linking him with a move away from United Middlesbrough are the latest supposed suitors, but there has been no contact made with the Tangerines will not make its mark on him going into this game.
For the likeable big man has a clear list of priorities in life and carries that philosophy with him when he goes on to the park.
Pernis said, “I don’t feel under any pressure to keep a clean sheet.
“Football is not pressure it is only a sport. It is not life or death.”
He added, “Real pressure, for me, is having a family and making sure you are healthy.
“I have a wife and a son and looking after them is what is important in my life.”Clean sheet “vital”Being unflappable does not mean the importance of his role is lost on Pernis.
On the contrary, the 25-year-old is well aware of how much of a central figure he will be.
He said, “In European football keeping a clean sheet in your home game is now one of the most vital things.
“If you can get through the first match without losing a goal then you have a big chance when you go away from home.
“So being strong in defence is very important and even a 0-0 would be a fantastic result because it would set up a great tie over in Athens.”
As well as sampling continental competition before, Pernis can call on his memories of a famous win at the World Cup in the summer for inspiration, with unfancied Slovakia beating then defending champions Italy in South Africa.
He said, “I am one of the few players we have with experience of playing in Europe.
“Although we don’t have the same experience as AEK, we have team spirit and we showed that in achieving what we did last season.”
He added, “Football is unbelievable at times anything can happen.
“We are good enough to win over the two games, I am confident of that.”
Pernis said, “In the summer I was there when Slovakia beat Italy in the World Cup so that is proof that sometimes the favourite doesn’t win.
“I also played for MK Zilina against Hadjuk Split and Partizan Belgrade in the qualifying rounds last season.
“They were both very hard games.”Players “buzzing”Tannadice should be close to capacity on Thursday, and manager Peter Houston is calling on the support to make as much noise as possible.
The AEK supporters are notorious for the hostile welcome they give opposition teams but Houston would love them to sample some of their own medicine.
He said, “I urge as many fans as possible to come out and cheer the team on.
“I go back to European nights when I was at Hearts and the atmosphere at Tynecastle definitely helped the players on the night.
“If we can get a full house, with thousands of United fans making some serious noise then it will inspire our boys.”
He added, “They are buzzing about it just now, I can tell that from training.
“One thing our players do is rise to the occasion and you saw that in the Scottish Cup semi-final and final.
“This is another occasion for them to savour and from what I have seen this week they are raring to go.”Difference in stylesThe match will be refereed by Marijo Strahonja from Croatia, who has a reputation of being card-happy.
With that in mind, Houston will urge his players to consider the differences between SPL football and continental football.
He said, “European games are different to what we are used to in the SPL, both in the style of play and in the refereeing.
“We know what to expect as refs at this level tend to give fouls more easily than we do in Scotland, but that is something you have to adapt to.”
He added, “I will mention this to the players, give them a wee reminder that fouls will probably be given more easily and that they should bear this in mind.
“But we won’t be dwelling on it because the referee won’t win or lose us the match.
“The biggest thing is adapting to European football and getting on with the game we want to play.”
AEK are due to land at Edinburgh Airport at lunchtime on Wednesday, then they will make their way to Tannadice later for a 7pm training session on the pitch.