Retiring Ferns skipper hits out

‘‘Fed up’’ New Zealand women’s football team captain Abby Erceg has hit out over a lack of support from the national body in announcing her international retirement.

Erceg, who plays for the North Carolina Courage in the US National Women’s Soccer League, is the country’ most-capped player having turned out 130 times and scored six goals for the Football Ferns.

The 27-year-old defender confirmed yesterday that she would be stepping down from representing New Zealand after the Football Ferns’ participation in the Cyprus Cup early next month.

Erceg called the circumstances around her retirement decision ‘‘unfortunate and unfavourable’’.

‘‘I’ve shaped my life around this game and committed a lot to it,’’ she told RNZ.

‘‘You get to a point in your career where you can’t justify the amount of effort you put in for what you are getting back. I’m getting to that point now.

‘‘It is bit tough and a bit sad to have to do it, not because it’s a physical thing and you can’t keep up - you are just at point where you are fed up and have had enough.’’

After making her New Zealand debut in 2006, taking over as captain in 2014, Erceg has gone on to a successful professional career with several overseas clubs.

While the security that has offered has made juggling her club and country commitments easier, she said the same is not the case for New Zealand-based players.

Erceg noted they had been battling to change that situation for ‘‘pretty much’’ her entire 11 to 12-year Ferns career.

‘‘What we trying to put together now is something that allows players to be in an environment where they can not only perform but live, pay the bills and do what most people do in a working environment,’’ she told RNZ.

‘‘We can’t maintain the standards we’re being held to without the necessary input to perform at that level. It gets to a point where players break down.’’

Ranked 19th in the world, the Ferns are funded by High Performance Sport NZ but that amount has dropped to $500,000 per-year over the next three years after the team was knocked out at the group stage of both the 2015 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games.

Although ‘‘saddened’’ to learn of Erceg’s decision, NZF boss Andy Martin said his organisation was not in a position to fund what he called a domestic programme in place to help players reach ‘‘elite status’’ as quickly as possible.

‘‘Tony [coach Tony Readings] is trying to bridge a gap between our amateur club game and the standards needed for the Ferns on an international scale. That programme is all about fast-tracking future Ferns to become pro players and giving them the opportunity to train with international coaches on a regular basis.

Martin said, like any business, they were constantly making funding decisions and their focus was on making sure the international teams were well funded and the community game was progressing.