Charlton vs Sunderland play-off final: Sasa Ilic will be at Wembley 21 years after his heroics – and wants promotion party he never had

Sasa Ilic hopes to celebrate with Charlton’s players if they beat Sunderland in Sunday’s League One play-off final – 21 years after his Wembley heroics.

The Addicks legend will be cheering on his former club with some of his old team-mates at Wembley this weekend.

Sasa Ilic was Charlton’s hero in their last visit to Wembley

Ilic saved the decisive penalty in a shootout victory over the Black Cats to send his side into the top-flight in 1998.

He revealed he and his team-mates were too exhausted to party into the night following the emotions of the game, which ended in a 4-4 draw, but wants to make up for lost time with Charlton’s current stars.

Ilic told talkSPORT: “You tend to remember the feelings more than the memories.

“It was overwhelming, especially with me coming from nowhere, knocking on Charlton’s door and within 12 months playing at Wembley and saving the decisive penalty.

“I just hope Charlton will have the same result as we did 21 years ago.

“During the shootout, we were scoring, they were scoring, so it got to a point where I said ‘what can I do to make a save?’

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“I saw a 10p coin and I flicked it for a couple of penalties and for the one that I saved, it landed on heads which was me diving to my left, and fortunately for me, it was the right decision. And the rest was history.

“If somebody had watched us from afar [at the hotel], they would’ve thought we’d lost the game.

“We were so mentally and physically drained, so once we got to the hotel, we all sat down, there were a few speeches, we had a meal and a couple of drinks, but we were all exhausted. I was in bed by 11pm!

The Charlton players celebrated wildly after Ilic’s match-winning penalty save

“We celebrated when we had the tour bus around Greenwich, Charlton and Blackheath, but I don’t think we ever got together to specifically celebrate that victory on that day.

“On the day we were supposed to celebrate, we were all pretty much exhausted to do that.

“But maybe we can do it on Sunday if Charlton win, and join the two teams together.”

Ilic, who owns a boutique hotel called the Monte Bay Retreat in Montenegro, made 62 appearances for Charlton between 1997 and 2002.

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And after Doncaster’s Tommy Rowe put his penalty wide to book Charlton’s place in the play-off final last Friday, Ilic bought a plane ticket to London ‘two minutes after the game’.

He said: “I watched the game and I was very confident Charlton would win.

“I was on the internet booking my flight to London, but as the game progressed Doncaster scored and then there was a penalty shootout.

“I could barely watch it, but luckily for us, we won and now it’s up to the final. I booked my flight immediately, literally two minutes after the game.

“Charlton have confirmed tickets for us ex-pros and we’ll be going.

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“I had a brief word with [my old Charlton team-mate] Steve Brown and [former Addicks assistant] Keith Peacock, but I’m looking forward to catching up with everybody on Sunday. We’ll have a nice little reunion.”

Charlton goalkeeper Dillon Phillips denied 26-goal striker John Marquis in their shootout victory over Doncaster.

Phillips has established himself as the Addicks’ No.1 this season, helping them record the second meanest defence in League One.

Ilic has been impressed by the 23-year-old’s performances and wants Lee Bowyer’s men to enjoy the club’s first trip to the new Wembley.

He added: “It was a very good penalty save. He’s a very decent goalkeeper. He looks the part, definitely. Fingers crossed he’ll do the same on Sunday.

“The advice I’d give to the players is to thoroughly enjoy the moment because it’s not every day you get to play at Wembley in a crucial game like the play-off final.

“My advice would be to leave their heart and their soul on the pitch, try their very best and whatever the outcome, try to enjoy the day.”

The League One play-off final between Charlton and Sunderland is LIVE on talkSPORT on 26 May at 3pm.

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