A FedEx driver has been nominated for employee of the year by an extremely relieved customer after he killed a deadly rattlesnake hiding on her Nebraska doorstep - and apologized for the mess.

Matt Govier was delivering a package to Christie Jones’ home in rural Sumner when he heard an angry hiss from below.

Curled up at his feet was a 3ft rattlesnake which had slithered across the doorstep of the family home moments earlier.

Ring camera footage shows the driver spring back in alarm before hunting around for a shovel and a rake with which he coolly dispatches the venomous beast, before slinging its remains in the back of his van.

‘I hope you didn’t have a pet rattlesnake at your front door because I killed him,’ he texted his customer, before adding ‘Sorry about the blood.’

Matt shocked the homeowner with his understated account of the drama that had unfolded on her doorstep

The snake rears his head and stares directly at camera before slithering the length of the doorstep

Moments later Matt's delivery van arrives as the snake makes itself comfortable on he porch

Footage shows Christie’s 12-year-old daughter Kyler skipping barelegged out the front door with the family dog just 20 minutes before the rattlesnake made his appearance.

The snake then pops up and appears to take a good look at the front door before sliding over the step with his tongue flicking.

Govier’s van is seen pulling up and the driver makes an audible grunt as he lays his heavy package down on the doorstep, before shouting ‘Holy f***!’ as he is loudly hissed at from inches away.

‘You stay there f******’ he tells the snake as he backs away and begins rooting around the front yard for a weapon.

Around six people die from rattlesnake bites in the US each year and Govier visibly shivers on camera as he realizes how close he came to being the latest victim.

Returning moments later he persuades the reptile to wrap itself around a rake before carrying it off to the front lawn where he cleanly dispatches it with a shovel.

‘Anyone who really knows me knows how incredibly fearful I am of any kind of snake,’ Jones wrote on Facebook as she recounted the incident.

She thanked Govier after receiving his text message later that day and told NTV his bosses should name him employee of the year.

Moments earlier, Jones' 12-year-old daughter had left the house with the family dog

Matt approached the doorstep oblivious to what awaited him and set down his heavy parcel just inches from the snake's hissing head

The snake was curled up in a ball and flicked its tongue menacingly as it eyed Matt from the corner of the doorstep

Matt persuades the snake to climb onto a rake, allowing the driver to carry it away from the family's doorstep

‘I’m so glad he didn’t leave it there because now my thoughts are what if he said “Hey, I saw a rattlesnake on your step and I left it there, you know it was just over there in the corner”.

‘I don’t know if I would be able to exit my front door.

‘Thank you, Matt, very much. We’re very thankful that you took care of business here.’

'Yikes! that's awesome service,' wrote Angela Armagost on social media as the news began to spread.

Homeowner Christie Jones told NTV Matt should be named FedEx employee of the year

Govier was hailed for his heroism by admirers on social left terrified at the thought of confronting a snake

'Oh my God!!! Yep the best FedEx guy ever!!!!!' added Jessica Leach.

'OMG! he's very brave!' wrote Erin Bear, 'I might have fainted or peed my pants or both at her same time!!'

But Govier was modest about his everyday heroism when tracked down by the TV channel.

‘I was just kind of put in a position where I had to do something,’ he said.

FedEx has been contacted for comment.