Rufer gives back to game after heart attack
A year on from his ‘‘life-changing’’ cardiac arrest, legendary New Zealand footballer Wynton Rufer is giving back to the sport by tackling a new role with a community club in his hometown.
Wanting to help foster the city’s next generation, the former Bundesliga star has accepted a parttime role with Island Bay United, serving as the Wellington club’s technical director.
‘‘I’m thrilled to be coming back to the city where it all began for me, linking again with James Prosser and helping this great community club on its coaching journey,’’ Rufer said.
Last year, Rufer suffered a cardiac arrest while riding a Lime scooter home from a New Zealand Breakers basketball game.
While he acknowledged he was ‘‘lucky to be alive’’, 57-year-old Rufer said he is now back to full health.
Thanks to a change in diet, he feels fitter than he did prior to the heart scare and has since donned the boots on the social football field.
‘‘It was a life-changing situation. I could have died,’’ he said.
‘‘I had a good friend who had the same sort of thing happen at work and he was alone and he died because no one was there to resuscitate him.
‘‘That could have happened to me, so I’m very lucky that I had to someone there to resuscitate me.’’
Although he will continue to reside in Auckland, Rufer planned to fly down to Wellington once a month, coinciding visits with Wellington Phoenix home games in order to watch his nephew Alex play.
Phoenix star Liberato Cacace is an Island Bay product and Rufer said it was vital for clubs to have role models like the 19-year-old defender, who has emerged as one of the hottest properties in the A-League.
‘‘Talking to some of the kids, they all know all of the players, they’re going to all of the games anyway and it’s their dream to get a contract at the Phoenix. It’s all good stuff.’’
Rufer played 23 times for New Zealand, including at the 1982 World Cup, and was a star in European club football throughout the 1980s and 90s.