Adshead happy to leave soccer on his terms

John Adshead feels blessed to pen his own soccer obituary.

The former All Whites coach yesterday resigned as manager of the New Zealand Knights, the Auckland-based Australian A-League club which last season finished a distant last.

His decision caught club officials by surprise, and Adshead today moved to dampen suggestions his departure had anything to do with the Knights' struggle to establish themselves.

"To bow out of the game, hopefully gracefully, on your own terms is very important," Adshead told NZPA.

"People might not understand this but I think I'm leaving the club in pretty good condition. A lot of work has gone on and the club is ready to move forward."

Adshead, 64, who last May was diagnosed with prostate cancer, said his health was a consideration in his decision to step down and effectively end a glittering coaching career.

However, equally motivating for Adshead, who guided the All Whites to New Zealand's only World Cup finals appearance in 1982, is his 13-year-old son, whom he wants to spend more time with.

Adshead said he awoke this morning and felt refreshed simply because there was nothing he had to do.

"I was ready to retire two years ago," said Adshead, who was signed by the Knights in 2004 after working in the Middle East, based in Oman.

"I never really intended coming back to work, but the Knights job was a good challenge to come back to."

That proved a challenge too far for Adshead as the Knights floundered in the maiden season, losing 20 of 21 A-League matches.

Adshead not only had to battle cancer, the team's results and subsequent fallout saw a number of players leave the club, notably captain Danny Hay, who was signed by Perth.

Adshead was criticised for signing a swag of overseas players and not developing New Zealand talent. He admitted late in the season he had underestimated the strength of the A-League.

"I'm obviously disappointed that I'm not leaving the game on a high," Adshead said.

"I've been in the game for 38 years and 37 of them were very, very good."

Adshead stressed his decision to retire had nothing to do with the side's results.

"If I was going to get out because of last season I'd have got out a long time ago. It came down to what do I want to get out of life? What can I afford, what do I want?"

Knights board chairman Anthony Lee said Adshead's decision to retire came out of the blue but, after discussions last weekend, the club's board reluctantly accepted his resignation with immediate effect.

Paul Nevin, Adshead's assistant, has been named caretaker coach as the Knights look for a successor.

Knights chief executive Steve O'Hara said there was nothing sinister behind Adshead's decision.

"It's a very high pressure job, and while he's beaten the cancer well and truly now, there's still some ongoing treatments that take some time and I'm sure that was part of John's thinking," O'Hara said.

"It's really just a case of John having had time to get away from it all, had time to reflect on his position, and he's come to this decision. It's one that caught us by surprise."

Adshead said he now had every intention to retire as a coach, but he still held a ticket as an Asian Football Confederation instructor and could conduct the odd course around the region.

"The immediate intention is to sit back and say I don't have to do anything today. That's a nice feeling."

- NZPA