David Forde admits he is ready for his holidays after racking up 4,950 minutes in the Millwall goal this season - but before he heads to the beach, he is determined to take the Lions into the Championship.

The goalkeeper has played all of Millwall's 55 games during the campaign and kept 19 clean-sheets along the way.

He has also saved five penalties - the last came against Leeds to set the Lions up with a play-off final match with Scunthorpe this Sunday at Wembley.

It was also poignant that Forde, 29, saved the spot-kick from Jermaine Beckford - the same player who had infamously elbowed him back in March.

But the Irishman says he took no solace from getting revenge over the striker and insists his only priority is to see Millwall return to the second tier of English football.

He said: "I have now saved five penalties this season. It's been a good year for me. I just try not to react before they kick the ball. It was no sweeter that the save was against Jermaine Beckford. These things happen in football and I never looked at the save as revenge.

"What happened earlier in the season was all in the past. I was just glad to have saved the penalty and help out my team-mates.

"That was the biggest thing - helping us get the chance to play at Wembley. Getting to the Championship will be massive for me. That was my goal when I came here.

"I tasted it when I played for Cardiff and feel I'm good enough to play at that level. Then, on the club front, I believe we have enough potential to compete in the Championship."

It could prove another twist in Forde's career, for at one point he could have been forgiven for turning his back on English football all together.

He was plucked from League of Wales side Barry Town by West Ham but never got the opportunity to shine for the Hammers and decided to return to Ireland when his contract expired.However, he returned with Cardiff after a successful spell at Derry City.

Forde added: "I played for Galway for a couple of seasons and then Barry Town came knocking when they were playing in Europe. I went there and played and then got signed by West Ham.

"I was signed by Glenn Roeder and had three years there before I decided to go back to Ireland with Derry City.

"At West Ham I was behind David James and Raimond van der Gouw in the pecking order. I did not play for them but learned so much, so I would not have changed going there."

Forde will be cheered on by more than 43,000 Millwall supporters on Sunday, while his performances have not gone unnoticed back in Ireland.

He added: "The pubs in Galway were full last for the Leeds game. There is a big Millwall fan base over there because the club have a long history of Irish players, so it is good to fly the flag."