Cameron Brannagan interview: 'Four penalties, it was crazy.' Ex-Liverpool man on breaking records at Oxford (2024)

"I don’t think it has ever been heard of before," Cam Brannagan tells Sky Sports. "Four penalties? How often does that happen?"

The answer is that Brannagan's achievement in Oxford's 7-2 win at Gillingham last month was unique. The 25-year-old midfielder became the first player in the 138-year history of the division to score four penalties in the same game.

It is all the more remarkable given that these were the first penalties Brannagan had scored. James Henry had been the club's regular taker for years. "He got injured and had missed the last one." Matty Taylor took responsibility next. "He missed."

It was Brannagan's turn. "I just said, 'I am going to take the next pen.' We all agreed that I was on penalties. Lucky enough, we got four in a game. It was crazy. Every time we got a penalty I just had a little chuckle to myself. You have got to, haven't you?"

Brannagan is conscious that he has gone from penalty-taking novice to achieving something that no other player in English football ever has. He is reluctant to talk up his skills. "The keeper dived the wrong way, that made it a little bit easier," he says.

"I had to do my job and put them in the net and I did. I slotted them all away." Nevertheless, there is an unusual psychological contest being played out between kicker and goalkeeper when having to take four penalties against the same opponent in the same game.

"The first one, I went right," Brannagan explains. "To be honest, I did not think that first one was a great penalty I was just lucky that he dived the wrong way." In a sense, that helped. It encouraged him to try a different penalty, while sowing a seed in the goalkeeper's mind.

"Psychologically, I was then thinking that if I go right he is always going to have it in his mind that I will want to go back that way." He hit each of the next three to the left. "I knew if I connected right with the other three then they would all go in. I hit them all well.

"I work on them quite a bit. I always say you pick your way and you go with it. If he saves it, he saves it. I was more than happy to step up and luckily enough they went in."

Brannagan smashed in another goal in a 3-2 win over 10-man Portsmouth earlier this month - that one from long distance. "I have been working on it in training so I was very happy with myself," he says. "They had numbers behind the ball so it can be frustrating."

That win lifted Oxford within three points of automatic promotion to the Championship for the first time this century but two defeats since leave them outside the play-off positions on goal difference. "We have achieved absolutely nothing, to be honest," he says.

"It is all very well winning a few games and we can be happy winning games, but the only thing that will satisfy me is the result at the end of the season. It is getting tight at the top and the games come thick and fast. We want to do all we can to get promoted."

He would see that as a step back in the right direction after having a taste of the big time as a young player at Liverpool. Brendan Rodgers gave him his professional debut in Europe before Jurgen Klopp selected him three times in the Premier League.

It was tough to walk away from that but with further opportunities not forthcoming, Brannagan decided that it was time to start playing regular football. "Looking at the bigger picture, it was probably the best thing that I ever did," he says.

"I was comfortable at Liverpool. I felt like I was too nice at times. I could have done a bit more in training and given a bit more. It was a tough one. I would say to a lot of young lads out there in academy football, go and experience men's football, league football.

"I have grown up so much and I am absolutely loving it. Every game at this level is a massive game because it is people's livelihoods, especially in League One and League Two. You are playing for contracts and everyone is striving to reach that next level.

"It is completely different to academy football. You just learn. The time was right for me to move on and play first-team football regularly. When I left, you are fighting for your position every week in the first team. You are pushing for different things, it drives you on."

The move south was difficult at first. "Being away from family and friends." But he is settled now. "I am in a good place." There is a good relationship with manager Karl Robinson. "I have known him since I was a kid and come on leaps and bounds under him."

And there are no regrets about leaving Liverpool.

"Anyone who knows me would say that I just love playing football. It is all I have ever known since I was a kid. I just want to play so when I had the opportunity to do that it was a no-brainer for me. I just want to go out and show everyone how good I am.

"I don't think I will ever say I am playing my best football because I will always feel that I can get better but I am absolutely loving my football at the minute. I have quite a lot of appearances under my belt and I am pushing for more. I want to get to the Championship."

He acknowledges it will not be easy. "That is everyone's aim. League One is not an easy league to play in. We just have to keep working. The games are non-stop, but as a player that is what you want. It is like a rhythm. Hopefully, we can get the right results."

And if there is another penalty to take?

"If Jamo comes back and I miss, I would be more than happy to pass it back. But I have no problem stepping up and taking penalties."

That much is already obvious.