All Whites v Greece: New Zealand midfielder Clayton Lewis has plenty to prove in upcoming international window

Yet again, Clayton Lewis has arrived in an All Whites environment with a point to prove.

Lewis has been on the international scene longer than most but has had a stop-start career in the silver fern. He has been part of the biggest games of the recent era, including both legs of the Peru intercontinental series in 2017 and the playoff against Costa Rica in Doha last year.

But he’s also endured long absences. His ill-fated spell at Scunthorpe took him out of the reckoning for some time, then Covid struck. When the All Whites returned in 2021, border issues meant A League players couldn’t be selected. Injury saw him miss the series with Australia last year, then he only got a total of 44 minutes in the home matches against China earlier this year. And Lewis was absent from the October window featuring DR Congo and Australia, as coach Darren Bazeley chose not to take players from Australasia, given the proximity of the A League season.

Since his debut in Seoul against South Korea in March 2015, Lewis has accumulated 24 caps. He’s a veteran but not quite a mainstay.

“I was looking around the team the other night and it was only me, Woodsy, Tommy [Smith] and Boxy [Michael Boxall] who were there back then,” Lewis told the Herald. “Eight years ago - it’s pretty crazy and I feel like I’m one of the old boys now. It’s been a good time. I just wish over the course of that time I could have racked up double the games.”

The 26-year-old has also reinvented himself. Under former coach Anthony Hudson he was pushed further forward – with an eye for a pass – shown by his brilliant assist for Chris Wood’s goal against Mexico at the 2017 Fifa Confederations Cup.

But he has since reverted to a holding role, though he still believes he has the armoury.

The All Whites' Clayton Lewis in action in 2017.

“Hopefully I can get further forward over these games and showcase my passing ability in and around the box,” said Lewis.

Lewis also faces much more competition, with the emergence of Joe Bell, Marko Stamenic and Matt Garbett among others in recent years. But he still has something to offer, with his vision, combative nature and game awareness.

“I feel like I’ve got a lot of experience now at the international level,” said Lewis. “So, if there’s any way that I can help the younger players coming through, that’s something I want to do.”

Lewis has also pushed himself out of his comfort zone, with the recent move to Macarthur from the Wellington Phoenix, where he is one of five visa players. He has made an impressive start to life in Sydney, with the Bulls unbeaten in the league and top of their Asian Champions League group.

“It’s gone well,” said Lewis. “So hopefully it continues.”

This window, against Greece (Saturday 6am) and the Republic of Ireland (Wednesday 8.45am) is another litmus test for the All Whites. They have had plenty of promising moments over the last few years and have evolved noticeably in their style of play, with their ability to retain possession, especially in the final third, unmatched in All Whites history. But they are still waiting for a statement performance, the kind of breakthrough result that turns heads.

“We’re definitely trying to be a high-pressing team,” said Lewis. “If we can win the ball high, we’ve got the players to really hurt teams. I think we underestimate how good we can be in transition. That’s definitely something we can keep working on and having that forward push.”

Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. A football aficionado, Burgess will never forget the noise that greeted Rory Fallon’s goal against Bahrain in Wellington in 2009.