Soccer: Final likely to be Emblen's last as a player

Neil Emblen. Photo / Dean Purcell

Today's O-League final could be Neil Emblen's last as a Waitakere United player, bringing to an end a 20-year career of top-level football.

The 38-year-old has found a combination of age and the rigours of being Waitakere player-coach difficult this year and decided about three months ago this would probably be his last season playing at the highest level he can.

He won't, however, hang up his boots altogether. He will still play for Waitakere City in the Northern League and will continue to play at some level, albeit lower, for as long as he can.

"On the playing side, I feel this season has been tough for me," Emblen said on the eve of today's crucial second leg of the O-League final against Papua New Guinea's Hekari United. "My form hasn't been as good as it was when I was assistant coach ... or I might just be another year older.

"I am finding it harder to do things [as a player] than I was a year ago. When your body can't do what your brain wants it to, it's time to give it away.

"My plan is to not play [for Waitakere United] next season unless there is an injury crisis. I will probably register as a player but I have enough on my plate as a coach so I don't want to play. I don't think you get your coaching really into focus until you stop playing. People don't take you seriously until you stop playing.

"There's not a huge line-up of top-quality coaches in New Zealand, so if I can forge myself into one of those, then I have a good future here. The sooner I give up playing, the better."

Emblen has been a full-time footballer since the late 1980s, when he was playing non-league football in England.

He's since had a good professional career at Wolves, Millwall, Norwich and Walsall and he also played a handful of Premier League games for Crystal Palace in 1997-98.

He moved to New Zealand in 2005 to join the New Zealand Knights in the A-League, before switching to Waitakere United in 2007, becoming head coach this season. He won't be tempted to extend his playing career if Waitakere overcome Hekari to qualify for another Club World Cup.

"I would love that to be a swansong but it won't look good if a 39-year-old is leading a team in Abu Dhabi," Emblen says. "I've had a pretty good run."

Waitakere have to reverse a 3-0 deficit from the first leg against Hekari to progress to the Club World Cup but it's not insurmountable, given the difficulties island teams have playing away from home.

Winger Roy Krishna, who suffered an ankle injury in last weekend's NZFC triumph, will be given until the last minute to prove his fitness.