Football: Big year ahead

North Force assistant coach Scott Burgess reckons a match featuring the Wellington Phoenix reserve side and NZ Football Wanderers at Toll Stadium next month will benefit the game in Northland at the grass roots level. Photo / File

Next year promises to be a memorable one for young footballers in Northland with North Force assistant coach Scott Burgess saying he expects the top level games on show in Whangarei to benefit the game at the grass roots level.

An ASB Premiership match featuring the Wellington Phoenix reserve side and NZ Football Wanderers will kick off the entertainment at Toll Stadium on January 25 - whetting football fans' appetite before the main event - three Fifa U20 World Cup matches in May and June.

Being able to watch such top level football should make its mark on a new generation of young Northland players, Burgess said, and encourage them to strive to become professional footballers.

"If you think about how hard it is to make the All Blacks, I think it is a lot harder to become a professional footballer in New Zealand, so being able to watch games like this live really helps," he said.

He said having a professional side playing in the A-League is a bonus for young players. The Phoenix games offer young players an easier route into the professional game than in the past.

"The model seems to be working pretty well with Marco Rojas coming out of nowhere and finding his feet with the Phoenix and now he's off playing in Europe so if you're good enough to get into the Phoenix, you might end up anywhere," Burgess said.

May and June will be an interesting time for sports fans in the north.

"There will be (professional team) scouts here from all over the world, so that will be an eye-opener for the New Zealand public, there will be a lot of people here in Whangarei just to watch players to see if they can sign them - it's going to be so big," he said.

Burgess expects that wealth of talent to rub off on the locals and North Force will eventually benefit - although he realises that a good proportion of Northland talent eventually ends up in Auckland.

Three former North Force players are currently plying their trade in Auckland's Northern League clubs. Mark Ruddle plays for the Northern Premier League competition championship side, Glenfield Rovers, while Daniel Ridgley plays for Three Kings United, and Chaarl Compaan has just signed to play for Eastern Suburbs in the Premier League.

Burgess said Northland's Northern League team are booked to play a trial match as the curtain-raiser to the Phoenix Reserves - Wanderers match in January, which is expected to be a perfect showcase for some of the country's top U20 talent.- The cost for entry to the game is only a gold coin and the match kicks off at 1pm.