Former Tauranga age group teammates Ryan Thomas, left, Tyler Boyd and Jesse Edge have been named in the All Whites together for the first time.
Former Tauranga age group teammates Ryan Thomas, left, Tyler Boyd and Jesse Edge have been named in the All Whites together for the first time.
Next month, the long-held dream to play together for the All Whites will come true for three young Tauranga footballers. Tyler Boyd, Ryan Thomas and Jesse Edge started playing together in under-12 Tauranga rep teams and throughout their teenage years spent hundreds of hours travelling to Hamilton to be coachedby former All White, Declan Edge.
The three 19-year-olds have already played together for the New Zealand under-20 side and hope to be reunited against China on November 14 and Thailand on November 19.
Wellington Phoenix striker Boyd, and Thomas, who plays for Dutch club PEC Zwolle, have already made their All Whites debuts but Edge was one of two new caps named in coach Anthony Hudson's squad. He is also the first New Zealand-born player to be contracted by a top Italian club after the skilful defender was recruited by Vicenza Calcio.
Edge, speaking exclusively to the Bay of Plenty Times from Italy, said he thought he had a chance in the All Whites after performing well for the New Zealand U17 and U20 sides and because of the youthful direction Hudson is moving the team in.
"I was always working as hard as I could to make the first team, as it has always been my dream to play for New Zealand," Edge said. "I received an email [from NZ Football] saying they wanted my club to release me as I had a possibility of making the squad. Then I got a call from Anthony saying I had made the squad and, yeah, I was really happy."
Edge comes from top footballing pedigree, with his uncle Declan a former All Whites player, and grandfather Eddie a former All Whites coach.
"I have been working so hard to improve my football and it is nice to see signs I am improving and making that next step with the work I am doing. It is a big learning phase for me at the moment."
One player Edge cannot wait to play alongside is All Whites captain and West Ham United defender Winston Reid. "He's a Premier League player that really plays. He is a big part of that West Ham team so I want to try and learn as much as I can off a player like that, and just improve my game and keep getting better."
