Five All Whites in under-20 squad

Five All Whites have been included in Darren Bazeley’s under-20 squad for the World Cup in South Korea, which starts in less than three weeks.

Midfielder Clayton Lewis, a senior team regular, is joined by Dane Ingham, Henry Cameron, Logan Rogerson and Moses Dyer, giving the 21-man group a solid helping of experience.

Other notable names include Michael Woud, who is signed on for two more years at Sunderland, who have just been relegated from the English Premier League to the Championship; James McGarry, a pro with the Wellington Phoenix, and Sarpreet Singh, a midfielder who made several appearances for the Phoenix in the A-League season just gone, but is yet to sign a professional contract.

There are six other players based overseas - five of them at colleges in the United States, and Myer Bevan, who is with the Nike Academy in England.

Thirty players were invited to a training camp in Auckland last week, where they played a couple of games against two local club sides. Today, they leave for China, where they will play warmup games against Mexico and a local club team prior to the tournament proper.

At the World Cup, New Zealand start with a game against Vietnam, on May 22, then play Honduras on May 25, and France on May 28.

Last time this event was held, in New Zealand in 2015, the team advanced to the round of 16, where they lost narrowly to Portugal. Three players - Lewis, Dyer and Billingsley - have returned from that squad.