It’s a different ball game now: Nelsen
All Whites great Ryan Nelsen glanced at his son Maxwell training in Christchurch on a wet, wintry night this week and reflected how far New Zealand football had come.
When the 2010 All Whites World Cup team captain was breaking through a generation ago with Christchurch United he practised on a city council ground.
But Maxwell, 14, – who is in a junior development programme at home in Washington, DC – was training on a state-of-the-art all-weather surface at the Christchurch United Academy in Yaldhurst while visiting family in New Zealand.
Ryan Nelsen, who captained Blackburn Rovers and Queen’s Park Rangers in the English Premier
League, says ‘‘clubs like Christchurch United all around the country are developing the kids right’’, and it’s partly why he feels confident about New Zealand football’s future despite the disappointment of the All Whites failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar.
The 44-year-old Nelsen was in Doha in June to watch the heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Costa Rica where Chris Wood had a goal disallowed by VAR for an alleged foul by Matthew Garbett in the leadup.
Nelsen, who works for world governing body Fifa on advisory panels, was gutted at the outcome.
While the All Whites’ World Cup playoff exit was ‘‘a huge disappointment for everybody’’ Nelsen still believes ‘‘everyone watching saw the New Zealand teams of the future – teams that can play, compete, pass a ball, who are athletically good enough, technically good enough and tactically good enough’’ to compete on the world stage.
He watched the All Whites game with a group of other famous ex-players, including Germany’s
1990 World Cup winning captain Lothar Matthaus, Spain’s Fernando Hierro and exSocceroos superstar Tim Cahill, and all were impressed with how Danny Hay’s New Zealanders played in a game where they had 15 shots to Costa Rica’s four.
‘‘That was the bright light out of that game, you saw a glimpse of what the potential could be in four years in 2026, when it’s probably a wee bit easier qualification path, and those young guys are now at some really good clubs in Europe,,’’ Nelsen said. ‘‘Probably New Zealand teams have been reliant in the past of being pretty stubborn, strong, resilient teams. This team is a bit more exciting to watch, with the ability to play a bit more football and control games with the ball. That’s exciting.’’ Nelsen is looking forward to the return of midfielders Ryan Thomas and Sarpreet Singh – who missed the Costa Rica game with injury.
He is excited too at the potential of younger men such as Marko Stamenic and Joe Bell – both playing in Denmark – and Matthew Garbett (Torino) and Liberato Cacace (Empoli) at Italian Serie A clubs and has been heartened by positive results for the national under-17, under-20 and under-23 teams in recent years. He says that’s a result of the development programmes around the country.
Current All Whites coach Danny Hay once anchored the defence with Nelsen, who is impressed with his old team-mate’s handling of the national team.
‘‘I was fortunate enough to be invited into the camp when I was in Doha and got to see him at work, and staff and the processes they go through. It’s gone leaps and bounds for when I was playing in terms of professionalism.
‘‘Danny’s a passionate New Zealand guy and we haven’t had many of those in the higher echelons on management, besides probably Ricki [Herbert].
‘‘I think it’s good we’re promoting our own guys who know the All White shirt. The team’s got a good future if New Zealand football give him the right backing and staff and infrastructure around him.’’
Nelsen has no desire to get back into coaching after his 18-month stint as head coach of Major League Soccer club Toronto FC after ending his eight-season stay in the Premier League with QPR in 2013.
Now, he gets a kick out of watching Maxwell continue the family’s long-held family football passion. Ryan’s maternal grandfather, Bob Smith, was New Zealand Football Association chairman in the 1960s and three of Bob’s brothers - Vic, Gordon, and Roger Smith - and Gordon’s son Brian played for New Zealand.
Born in the UK to a Kiwi dad and American mum (Monica), Maxwell ‘‘has got three passports. I’ve said to him, if you get decent enough, what are you going to do?’’