Hay’s future vision centres on Kiwi youth
Danny Hay wants the national league to offer more opportunities to young Kiwi footballers and plans to lead the way at Eastern Suburbs.
The former All Whites captain has turned his full attention to the Auckland club and won’t be staying on as the national under-17 coach, a role he has held for the past two years, or seeking to move up to the under-20s.
Hay is coaching Suburbs’ national league team this season, and has taken on a highperformance role at the club, where he believes he can do more for young players than he could as a national age-group coach.
‘‘What two cycles of the under17s taught me is that four or five one-week camps over the course of two years does not make up for years and years of misdevelopment,’’ Hay said.
‘‘For now it’s about surrounding myself at Eastern Suburbs with top quality coaches so we can make sure that that misdevelopment isn’t going on.’’
Hay took two under-17 teams to World Cups – one reached the round of 16 in Chile in 2015, one didn’t make it out of their group in India earlier this year – so he has seen how young Kiwis stack up with the rest of the world.
‘‘There’s nowhere to hide when you get to a World Cup,’’ he said.
‘‘In every part of the game, whether it be their tactical understanding, their technical ability, their mentality, the physical aspects, our kids are lacking compared to other parts of the world.
‘‘It’s not something we need to particularly rush, but there are areas of the game we really need to focus in on.’’
In his short time in charge of Suburbs’ national league team, Hay has matched his rhetoric with actions, keeping just one foreign player in his wider squad.
Teams are allowed to have seven non-Oceania foreigners in their 16-man matchday squads, and Suburbs and Team Wellington (who have four) are the only ones who can’t field a full complement.
New Zealand Football has signalled that the number of foreigners allowed will be reduced in the near future, which will naturally lead to more opportunities for Kiwis, but Hay would also like to see teams made to use more younger players.
‘‘If the slogan is ‘where All Whites are made’, then you’ve got to put your money where your mouth is,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s about potentially putting some restrictions or rules in place, where you have to give these young Kiwis an opportunity – they’ve got to play X amount in a game, or they’ve got to be on the teamsheet – and hopefully long term that will be a plan of the organisation.’’
Eastern Suburbs sit fourth after eight rounds in the premiership, with three wins – in the first three rounds – and two draws.
Hay hasn’t been afraid to hand teenagers playing time and said it was important to give them space to learn and grow.
‘‘It’s just about being prepared as coach to understand that they’re going to make mistakes, that they’re not going to be t finished article, that there a going to be times where learning going to have to take place throu some of their failures.
‘‘By and large, I think they more than capable of footing and it’s going to allow them develop into much better playe which is ultimately going to be b ter for the national teams.’’
Hay feels the governing bo should be looking to get clubs w a proven record of developi young Kiwis involved in t national league.
As an example, he said Wellin ton’s Western Suburbs, who a partnered with the Ole Academ and coached by Declan Edg would be an excellent addition.
‘‘With the track record th Declan’s had over a number years now, his focus on developi young players, and taking time actually develop them, and t brand of football that he promot New Zealand Football need to fi a way, sooner rather than later, getting Wests, Ole, whatever w want to call it – Declan’s enviro ment – into the national league
‘‘You know that he will promo and play young New Zeala players, and play a type of footb that we need to be focusing on