Sarpreet Singh in action for the All Whites. Photo / Photosport
It was only one small moment – but it was a moment that will warm the hearts of all those associated with football in this country.
In the 12th minute of Friday’s 1-0 loss to the Socceroos in Canberra, All Whites midfielder Sarpreet Singh received a pass from Joe Bell, with his back to goal, 25m out. He turned quickly to beat his marker before unleashing a bullet of a shot that just whistled past the far post.
It was a reminder of what Singh – whose career has been in almost constant stop-start mode over the last few years – can do. It was signal that he is on the road back, after so many issues. And it was a sign of his confidence.
There was more to come soon afterwards, with a cushioned pass to release Chris Wood near halfway, setting up New Zealand’s best chance of the night. That sequence encapsulated Singh’s ability; the quick scan as he waited for the ball to drop from a flick-on, seeing the opportunity and then executing on the volley. On the half-hour mark, he was inches away from finding Wood again – with a measured ball down the left, as he kept finding time and space.
While the return of Ryan Thomas was understandably the biggest talking point out of a mostly impressive New Zealand display, this also felt like a return for Singh.
He has always been seen as a special talent – ever since he lit up the A-League for the Wellington Phoenix - but he hasn’t always been able to show it for the national team, with the stars rarely aligning in terms of form and fitness. Now they might. He looked sharp, fit and strong, with his ability to unlock defences a key point of difference.
“I’m headed in the right direction for sure,” Singh told the Herald. “There’s always room for me to do better because I believe in myself and my abilities. [But] this is the first time I had a decent pre-season under my belt for a long time and then I started the season as well. So, from a physical point of view, I’m feeling good, with all my problems and stuff. My body’s in good shape and I just want to bring it to the pitch.”
That’s quite a step. Since his landmark move to Bayern Munich in July 2019 – which was probably too much, too soon – not much has gone right. A persistent groin injury affected him for more than a year and took him out of contention for the All Whites’ World Cup qualifying playoff against Costa Rica in Doha. It also scuppered a potential move to Werder Bremen, before a couple of loan spells in the German second division, then a move to Hansa Rostock. After they were relegated, Singh spent a year in the Portuguese second tier with Uniao de Leiria, before joining Serbia club SK TSC in July.
“Of course it has been tough,” Singh said. “I’ve faced a few challenges and mentally, I was down a lot, especially when certain things occurred, injuries or transfers or whatever. You realise you have to keep going, you have to keep working hard and trust the process. This is the journey for me.”
Singh is happy in Serbia, where he has been reunited with former Phoenix coach Darije Kalezic. The club is well run, with the right “football identity” and he is getting plenty of minutes.
“That is an important factor for me, given the previous seasons,” Singh said.
All Whites coach Darren Bazeley hope this is a new chapter for the 26-year-old.
“He’s had to fight his way around Europe and he’s obviously had injuries,” Bazeley said. “But now he is in a good place, he feels really fit, feels injury-free and we are starting to see the old Sarpreet. We’ve said to him, go and make the game. Go and find space. We want him to be the one hitting the final pass. He’s a very good ball circulator but we want him delivering the killer ball.”
His combination with Wood is also improving.
“Every time I have the ball, I try and look for him because he’s one of the best strikers in the world,” Singh said. “My job is to try and put him in positions to score goals and I guess the longer you play together, you start to [understand] his movements, his patterns and where he wants the ball.”
Their ability to link up will be crucial again on Tuesday at Go Media Stadium (7pm), as the All Whites look for a long-awaited win over the Socceroos.
“We can take confidence [from Friday],” Singh said. “We just need to back it up.”
Wood and Singh were among many who drew a generous crowd to Fred Taylor Park in West Auckland on Sunday to watch training. Despite concerns over a few players, including Francis de Vries (knee) and Tim Payne (ankle), Bazeley indicated the full squad would be available for selection.
Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.