How does it feel to be part of the first New Zealand team to qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup?
It’s a brilliant feeling. We’re extremely proud of the fact that we’re going to Canada – and we’re all extremely excited about it. Playing in a World Cup at any level is something special.
What did you make of Saturday’s draw?
It’s a very interesting draw. I actually followed it live on FIFA.com on Saturday evening and I’m really looking forward to playing Mexico, Portugal and Gambia. It will be a great experience. We’re going to come up against a team from Central America, Europe and Africa, so there will be a great contrast in styles for us. Hopefully, we’ll learn a lot.
Do you have any experience of playing any of those sides before?
I’ve faced Portugal before when I was playing with England’s youth team. I’ve got a good idea of what they’re like and I know a few of their players as well.
Are you confident that you can cause an upset?
I’m sure we can. We’re not going over there just to make up the numbers. We’re going over to represent Oceania and New Zealand. We’re quietly confident that we can cause an upset – and perhaps get past the group stages.
You mentioned there about representing Oceania – the standard of football in the region, particularly among the island teams seems to be getting better and better…
It certainly is. During qualification I was quite surprised by the standards of the teams we faced. People underestimate how good they are. I think people look at Oceania and expect New Zealand to easily win every competition we enter, but that is not the case – and I’m sure it will get harder in the future. It’s good for the region.
The Solomon Islands gave you a shock in the opening game didn’t they?
Yes. That was a tough game for us. Everyone expected us to win the tournament comfortably, but it was not easy. Because of the expectation placed upon us, we were very nervous going into that match. We had a man sent off, which gave them a good advantage as the game wore on, but we stuck together as a team and managed to get a draw, which was a good result. But I have every respect for the Solomon Islands team – they played good football and did very well throughout the tournament.
The Fiji match looked like an interesting contest, especially as you were given a police escort off the pitch at the final whistle. What was your take on the situation?
It was a fiery football game – one that we expected and one that we talked about beforehand. We knew that they would try and get at us and we had to match them. It happens in football sometimes; tempers can flare and people can get a little bit over excited. But it was a good game to compete it. I enjoyed it and so did the team. To actually win the match was the most important thing for us.
People seem to look to you on the pitch for a little bit of inspiration. Do you feel any pressure on yourself?
I didn’t feel that I had any pressure on my shoulders from the coaching staff or from Stu Jacobs. I was happy to join up with the team – and it was a great experience for me. I probably put a bit more pressure on myself, as I’m playing with a Premiership club – and I set myself extremely high standards. At the end of the day, we knew that we had to get through – and that was our main priority.
That pressure was visibly relieved when you scored against New Caledonia after missing the two penalties!
(He laughs).
Yes, I was pretty disappointed with myself and I apologised to Stu afterwards, but he told me that it was just one of those things. I tried to keep my head down and keep working hard in the match. I knew of I did that then something would go right for me, so I was delighted when I finally scored the goal to win the game.
Are the lads in the squad going to allow you to be on penalty duty now?!
There might be some discussions when we come together again (he smiles), but I won’t be afraid to take another one. I won’t shy away from it. I’m sure we’ll talk about that when we get there.
You mentioned Stu Jacobs there. What’s he like as a coach?
He’s a great coach: a real motivator. He’s a tactician too – and he’s the type of person that can make a squad bond together. I think that was important, especially for the type of tournament that we were involved in for the U-20 qualifiers. We were together for three or four weeks beforehand, so that the team could get – and we did just that. I’m delighted that he’s managed to guide us to the World Cup. All the lads are looking forward to seeing him and working with him again.
The people surrounding New Zealand Soccer are very passionate about the direction they want to take aren’t they?
They are indeed. Football in the country is progressing all the time and especially with the opportunities that we have now that Australia have moved into Asia, a lot of doors have been opened. We now have a realistic chance of securing places in tournaments. I think, at the moment, the plan is looking extremely good for the next ten years.
You were born in New Zealand, but you’ve been in England for a long time. What’s your story?
I was born in New Zealand, but my mother is English – my father is a New Zealander. I lived there until I was 13 and then moved to England for family reasons. I managed to get a chance with Fulham following a trial – and I have stayed there ever since. I played for England’s U-13, U-16, U-17 and U-18 sides and then I managed to get in contact with Ricki Herbert. He spoke to me about the direction that New Zealand Soccer was taking in terms of what their plans were in terms of qualification for South Africa. A couple of months later we spoke again – and that’s when I made the decision to play for the country of my birth, New Zealand.
That game against Brazil must have been an awesome experience for yourself?
It was. I was lucky enough to get on the pitch for the last seven or eight minutes. I joined up with the team two or three days before the game because I had to wait for international clearance, because of my appearances for England. But to get on the park and be part of the team was magnificent – a debut that you could only dream about.
Whose shirt did you get at the end?
I actually made a decision before the game that, no matter what, I would keep the shirt I made my debut in. However, at the end of the game, I headed into Brazil’s changing room and managed to get the squad to sign my shirt, I’ve actually got that mounted on my wall at home.
Are there any players you look up to?
I try to learn from the best – and take points from their style of play. David Beckham is someone I have admired for a long time, so he’s probably been my most influential footballer.