Soccer: Nelsen ready for All Whites' first big test

All Whites captain Ryan Nelsen. Photo / Mark Mitchell

First things first. Ryan Nelsen would like to apologise to Deputy Prime Minister Bill English.

As far as any dirt on the All Whites' World Cup skipper goes, this is it, as he prepares to lead his 22 teammates into the biggest month of their soccer lives.

Nelsen confesses in his new book, Ryan Nelsen's Road to the World Cup, that he virtually blanked English in their champagne-soaked dressing room after they beat Bahrain in November to qualify for South Africa. Wearing jeans, and passing on the prime minister's congratulations, the country's second-most powerful man was confused for a random punter who'd just wandered in.

"I'm still a bit embarrassed about that. I actually might write a letter to Mr English and apologise," Nelsen said.

But he offers some defence.

"I suppose that was his own fault for not wearing a suit to the game," he quipped.

Nelsen can be forgiven, and probably could have run for office himself after that Wellington night as he led New Zealand to their first World Cup finals in 28 years.

Several months on, and it's been a hectic return from England for Nelsen, who joined his teammates in Auckland today for their pre-World Cup camp and shook hands with the three teammates he'd never met: Europe-based defenders Tommy Smith and Winston Reid, and Aaron Clapham, the bolter from Canterbury.

Nelsen slept just three hours of the first two days of his return as he toured the country promoting his book, with public appearances and wall-to-wall interviews ("about 4000," he joked after a big day on Tuesday). He's accustomed to the weekly media grind with Blackburn in the English Premier League, but soccer fever at home is a new experience for one of New Zealand's highest-paid sportsmen who used to re-enter the country virtually unnoticed.

The highlight was a visit to his old primary school, Our Lady of The Assumption, in Christchurch.

"It was very nostalgic. I can remember myself at five years old sitting at the front of assembly, listening to some person speak and running out on the park and kicking a ball around. It was pretty cool how it's gone full circle. In 1982, 28 years ago, I was there. It was great fun."

He told prospective All Whites to tick off every box, be the best they can be, and have no regrets in pursuit of their sporting dream. But other questions from the five-year-olds had him stumped.

"There were some tough ones from the kids. Like, what's your favourite potato chip? What flavour? That's a tough one, you can't just answer that willy nilly."

For a man who banks tens of thousands of pounds sterling a week, Nelsen admits he is "pretty boring". No ridiculously expensive cars or overt displays of wealth, aside from one indulgence.

"I do like my wine, I'll pay for an expensive bottle of wine, that's one of my biggest weaknesses."

Nestled in his cellar is some Stoneyridge Larose, Matakana Gillman and some Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc. All proudly Kiwi, and a chance to fly the New Zealand flag among his Premier League mates.

"I like to bring over the French and Italian players, tell them to bring their best wines and I'll open one of my NZ wines and we'll blind taste test it and see who wins. To the Frenchmen's disgust the Kiwi ones generally come out on top. They know deep down that it's better."

A far sterner test for the pick of the Kiwi crop looms in South Africa next month.

Nelsen couldn't wait to get started as he joined the team in Auckland to prepare for their first big test, Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday night, including his Blackburn teammates Brett Emerton and Vince Grella.

After their Bahrain heroics, the All Whites' confidence has increased, along with the public's expectations.

"Of course we can beat Australia. But to be fair it's the first stage of a plan to peak at the World Cup. If we lose 6-0 to Australia then beat Slovakia, then who cares?," Nelsen said.

"It's a fantastic game, there will be 80,000-90,000 Aussies there with their annoying accents driving us crazy. It will be a great experience for the guys to play in front of a big crowd and there will be tension because it's an Australia-New Zealand game so that will add more pressure.

"And the public will now be talking about the possibility of beating Australia; that would be unheard of two years ago. This is the expectation that's now on the All Whites team and that comes with success.

"That's something a lot of players might have to learn that the better we do, the more pressure we're under, which is all good."

Then Europe beckons, for practice matches against Serbia and Slovenia, then to South Africa for a warmup match against Chile and their tournament opener against Slovakia on June 15. Defending champions Italy follow five days later, then Paraguay.

Nelsen is brutally realistic and thinks the New Zealand public are, too.

"We could play our absolute best; all 11 players could play out of their skins and do everything they are physically and mentally capable of, and we could lose all three games. That's just the brutal reality of playing the elite teams at the World Cup.

"If everyone plays out of their skins and does New Zealand proud then that's all you ask for. If we do that then win a game along the way then that will be even better."

As skipper, Nelsen is happy to carry the weight on his shoulders. The only thing that could potentially rob the All Whites of their best player is the premature birth of Nelsen's second child, due on July 10. Nelsen is adamant he'll rush to England to be with his American wife Monica and their young son, Max, even if it's game day, if word comes through early.

"There is probably more pressure and people expect more from me. But the pressure's the fun part of it. That's part of the territory, if I can take a bit of pressure off some of the young players and they play better, then brilliant."

And he's got a novel approach to lifting some of his teammates who might be a touch overawed.

"The way I look at it, Italy probably couldn't beat Manchester United, Italy probably couldn't beat Chelsea. That's how good those teams are: Man United, Chelsea and Arsenal and Liverpool are the best players from the best international teams.

"I try and look at it in that way: the World Cup will be easier than playing Man U at Old Trafford, so if I can do it then the New Zealand players can do it. It's not as big of a deal as you think."

- NZPA