Courtney Brosnan enjoyed the perfect preparation for Tuesday's World Cup play-off: a Merseyside derby win at Anfield in front of almost 28,000 noisy fans.
Republic of Ireland keeper Brosnan kept a clean sheet in front of the Kop two weeks ago as Everton eased to a comprehensive 3-0 victory in the Women's Super League, much to the frustration of her international team-mates Niamh Fahey and Megan Campbell, who both started for the Reds.
Liverpool boss Matt Beard said afterwards that his players looked "scared" on the big stage, but Brosnan and her Toffees team-mates embraced it.
Now, the Ireland No 1 is ready for another giant encounter.
"It was amazing, such a great experience," she said of the Anfield triumph.
"Honestly, the atmosphere was great, the away end was packed out. It was very special to play in front of it, to be sure."
Brosnan has had some rocky moments in a green jersey since making her debut in 2020, but she has emerged as one of Vera Pauw's key players over the course of this campaign.
The American-born stopper was superb in the 1-1 draw away to Sweden last April and has been consistently reliable over the last year.
"I feel like the draw away to Sweden and the win away in Finland, those were big results for us," said Brosnan.
"Obviously being away from home and showing we could put in big performances against some top, top sides in Sweden and Finland.
"Personally, it has been a great campaign and I have talked a lot in the media about doing my best and just fulfilling my role in the team and doing what is necessary, whether that is making no saves or one save or ten saves, just trying to focus on the task.
"With a goalkeeper, so much of it is physical but so much of it is mental and the way you talk to yourself and self-talk, things like that, that has been really important for me to have that inner belief and have that positive self-talk to get me in the best head space to perform and do my best for the team."
Tuesday's clash could go all the way to penalties so Brosnan may yet have her very own Packie Bonner moment.
Should it come to that, Ireland - and Brosnan - will be ready.
"I have been involved in a fair few [shootouts], we are definitely preparing for that.
"I think that's something that is important for me, to be the backbone for the girls in the back and exude that confidence. They know I'm there backing them up and vice versa. I think that is important. I'm a big communicator on the pitch, keeping that positive energy and keeping the back line and the team going; that has been important to me.
"We put our bodies on the line for each other.
"We really have that belief in ourselves as a squad that we know what we are capable of, so I think for this campaign, it has been big to show that, not just that we believe it but show it in the results in the game.
"I think we have matured as a squad and you can see the direction we are headed."
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