Both players have been included in the New Zealand squad for the OFC Nations Cup – set to be staged in the Solomon Islands from 1-10 June – and the vote of confidence from their clubs will give the pair a welcome boost going into the tournament.
Defender Smith has signed on for two more years at English Championship side Ipswich while Paston will spend at least one more season with A-League outfit the Phoenix.
They are at opposite ends of their careers – Smith is just 22 while Paston is in his 36th year – but are key parts of All Whites coach Ricki Herbert’s plans for the Nations Cup and are delighted to have secured their club futures.
“I feel I’ve still got plenty to offer and am looking forward to next season already,” said Paston, who will fight to be the Phonenix number one with All Whites team mate Glen Moss, recently signed from Gold Coast United for a second stint in Wellington.
“Glen and myself have been vying for the goalkeeping spot at the club before, as well as with the All Whites, and it will be good to have such strong opposition for the position.”
Smith is also used to battling for his place at club level and was out of the Ipswich first team for long periods of the recently-completed campaign.
He admits he entertained thoughts of trying his luck elsewhere but is now happy to be staying after forcing his way back into the line-up in the second half of the season.
“When I wasn’t in the squad for a few months, it crossed my mind that I may have to move on,” he said.
“It was a year of ups and downs but I was pleased with how I performed at the back-end of the season.”
Smith and Paston will travel to the United States with the All Whites for friendly matches against Honduras and El Salvador next week before heading to Honiara for the Nations Cup.
New Zealand will meet Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands in Group B while Group A features New Caledonia, Samoa, Tahiti and Vanuatu.
The Nations Cup winner will qualify directly for the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013 while the four highest-placed teams will go on to contest stage three of FIFA World Cup qualifying – a round-robin, home-and-away play-off series concluding in March 2013.

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