Krishna notches 100 Nix matches
During his first month in New Zealand, Roy Krishna spent most of his time crying alone in his room.
Brought to National League football side Waitakere United in 2008 by club stalwart Rex Dawkins as a raw, inexperienced 20-year-old, overwhelming homesickness enveloped the young Fijian as he tried to adjust to being away from family for the first time.
“After training, I’d go straight to my room to call home,” remembers Krishna. “The credit on my phone was gone so quickly.”
In tears, he’d plead with his mother to let him come home. Instead, Krishna’s father would gently take the phone and tell his son his destiny lay elsewhere.
“He told me I could change our family’s lives. He said one day I would make the family proud.”
Fast forward 10 years and that prediction has come true. Last night, Krishna played his 100th game for the Wellington Phoenix, becoming the side’s eleventh A-League centurion. He also sits on the cusp of the club’s all-time scoring record, with his next goal taking him past Phoenix legend Paul Ifill to the top of the list with 34.
Given what he’s achieved in the past five seasons, it’s a travesty Krishna didn’t play A-League until he was 26.
During his early days at Waitakere, Ricki Herbert invited him to trial with the Phoenix, but soon made it clear he was looking for a burly target man, rather than a player of Krishna’s type.
He also spent time with then A-League side North Queensland Fury and was thwarted only by a full quota of imports at the club. During that trial, Krishna enjoyed linking with one of the Fury’s firstteam strikers who later recommended the Fijian be signed. Krishna had no idea his temporary team-mate was former Premier League star Robbie Fowler.
Krishna’s chance finally arrived in early 2014, signed by new Phoenix coach Ernie Merrick as an injury replacement for Ifill, who had ruptured his Achilles tendon.
During his first training session, the canny Scot took one look at Krishna and told him he’d be in the squad for the next game. He debuted off the bench against Central Coast, started for the first time soon after and signed his first full professional contract four days after scoring his first A-League goal against the Melbourne Heart.
“I knew I could play at A-League level. I just needed a chance to prove it.”
And prove it, he has. Krishna has been a fixture in the first team, thrilling home fans with a potent — almost irresistible — combination of searing pace, limitless energy, deceptive strength and powerful shooting. A good gauge of the worth of any footballer is how many other teams in his league would sign him if the chance arose. In Krishna’s case, the answer is all of them.
Krishna isn’t a record-chaser or glory-hunter. He didn’t even know his 100th game was approaching. And when (not if) he becomes the club’s top scorer, that won’t swell his ego either.
“If the record comes, it comes. I’ll never be Paul Ifill. He’s achieved everything in the game. I want to be my own player, my own man.”
The inconsolable boy of 10 years ago has certainly become a man. The main man for the Wellington Phoenix.