Waiting weighs up Stateside opportunities

the New Zealand national league as a 15-year-old with the Wellington Phoenix reserves in 2014. He impressed at the A-League club’s academy before leaving for Virginia in 2017, wanting to continue studying (he’s majoring in psychology) while playing football at a decent level.

On the east coast of the United States, he has quietly been going about his business for the Cavaliers, picking up individual accolades and being appointed as a team captain.

He represented New Zealand at the Fifa Under-17 World Cup in 2015, then at the Under-20 World Cup in 2017, where, as one of the younger members of the squad, he stood out thanks to his ability on the ball, gaining valuable experience that helped when he went to a second Under-20 World Cup earlier this year.

In Poland in May and June, Bell captained a side that contained fellow 1999-born players Callum McCowatt, Nando Pijnaker, Sarpreet Singh, and Michael Woud, and the 2000-born trio Liberato Cacace, Elijah Just, and Max Mata, all of whom were selected by Hay for this month’s All Whites matches.

The under-20s impressed with their positive, possession-based approach under Buckingham, winning their first two matches against Honduras and Norway, but were eliminated on penalties by Colombia in the round of 16 – the manner of their exit leaving Bell with a ‘‘sour taste’’ and a feeling of ‘‘unfinished business’’.

Bell said the under-20 players’ experience in Poland would serve them well.

‘‘The biggest message Danny has been trying to get across in the past few weeks leading up to this window was that it is 100 per cent about being brave, and being confident, and trusting our teammates.

‘‘I think those are things we tapped into with the 20s, so it’s fantastic to see Danny with the senior team telling us to have

Joe Bell

that bravery, and to have the confidence to compete with top countries and get results, but to most importantly play the football we want to play.

‘‘When you have a coach telling you to be brave, you thrive under that.’’

The eight under-20 players will be in line to reunite with Buckingham next July for the Tokyo Olympics (as will McGarry), but first Bell has some unfinished business.

In going on tour with the All Whites, he had to miss the business end of the US Atlantic Coast Conference Championship, a regional knockout tournament Virginia had failed to win for a decade.

Bell’s college coach, George Gelnovatch, supported his decision to go, and without their talisman – who was named ACC midfielder of the year – Virginia got the job done, and also secured the top seed for the 48-team national knockout tournament that will crown a champion in the middle of December.

‘‘Winning the regular season title was good for us, getting that first trophy, but the biggest thing that matters is the [national championship] because you get a star on your shirt,’’ Bell said. ‘‘For us, that’s the number one goal, so hopefully we do well. I think we’ve got a strong team, so we should have a good chance.’’

The Cavaliers’ College Cup quest begins tomorrow (NZ time), when they look for the first of the five wins they need to succeed.

But however it ends, Bell will still have a decision to make – go back to Virginia and complete his degree, which would mean staying amateur for 12 more months, through the Olympics and the start of World Cup qualifying, or to find himself a pro deal.

After the Under-20 World Cup, he went on trial at Viking in Norway and was offered a contract. They’ve been to-ing and froing ever since.

Bell described his experience in Norway as ‘‘fantastic’’ and acknowledged it was the kind of place he’ll need to be soon. ‘‘Not taking anything away from the college game, but obviously being in a professional setup will give me a chance to work and improve in a way that’s going to be necessary in the future,’’ he said.

‘‘I’m very close with Des and with Danny and we’ve been having conversations about finding an environment that’s going to help me develop for the games that are coming up.’’

Whether he looks for a new environment this year or next, Bell clearly already has a pro mindset – something he puts down to being a perfectionist.

‘‘I do like to figure things out exactly – nutrition-wise, physicality-wise, and then on the pitch as well. Being in the States has helped with that stuff... so the past few years has given me a chance to study them. It’s important, because I want to give myself the best chance to do well and help my team, and if I’m not looking after myself off the pitch, then I’m not going to be any help to my team-mates.’’

‘‘When you have a coach telling you to be brave, you thrive under that.’’