KEY POINTS:
Twelve months ago, Jeremy Brockie was one of New Zealand football's most recognisable figures, and it wasn't just because of his trademark dreadlocks.
He was one of the few standout players in the New Zealand Knights' first season, their joint top goalscorer (albeit with only four to his
name), had made his All Whites debut aged only 18 and would go on to play Brazil and was snapped up by A-League champions Sydney FC in a two-year deal.
He was even being talked of as a candidate to follow Ryan Nelsen and Simon Elliott into the English Premiership.
As the 19-year-old found out, however, a lot can happen in 12 months. In that time, he struggled to break into Terry Butcher's Sydney side, playing only 232 minutes all season, and was recently released from his contract with a year still to run.
"It wasn't a waste of a year but it was a year that I could have done better, I suppose," he says. "Maybe I was a little bit blinded by the bright lights of Sydney but I wanted to improve my game and I thought the best way to do that was to train and play with the A-League champions every day. By my own standards, it was a disappointing year, especially to not get many opportunities."
Despite having been included in Sydney's squad to play in the Asian Champions League, Brockie approached the club for an early release.
"I didn't want another year like last year," Brockie explains, "and I've got a big year coming up, hopefully with the All Whites and under-20 World Cup. I really want to concentrate on playing for my country.
"The [under-20] World Cup is the highest-scouted tournament in the world so that's my priority. If I can play well there, I might be able to get a trial with a top European club."
There might be another opportunity a little closer to home, however, with the Wellington A-League side, which is expected to be given the green light tomorrow.
"It's not been a successful year for Jeremy," All Whites boss and A-League coach-in-waiting Ricki Herbert said. "But he's a talent and there's a responsibility to try to get him back on track."
Herbert will get his first chance to do that when Brockie flies out on Tuesday with the All Whites squad for the matches against Costa Rica and Venezuela.
Without the recently retired Vaughan Coveny, there's an opening for a player to partner Hibernian striker Chris Killen, when he returns from injury for the World Cup qualifiers in October and November.
Needless to say, Brockie wants to be that player and will stake a claim for it on the upcoming tour.
"It's my opportunity to take his spot," Brockie said. "Hopefully, I can take over Vaughan's record and become New Zealand's top goalscorer some time in the future."
He still has some way to go - 31 goals to be precise - but if he does, then it's likely Brockie will have refound the sort of form that captured people's imaginations a year ago.
