Sunday’s game between the All Whites and Australia at Eden Park will be the last for one of New Zealand’s greatest-ever footballers.
All Whites captain Winston Reid has announced he will be retiring from international football after the team’s two matches against Australia this week, after New Zealand failed to qualify for this year’s World Cup in Qatar.
The All Whites will play the Socceroos in Brisbane on Thursday before coming home to play their first match on New Zealand soil since 2017 in Auckland on Sunday.
The two matches are being staged to mark 100 years since the first trans-Tasman encounter in 1922.
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Reid, 34, has been without a club for 12 months following his exit from Premier League club West Ham after 11 years last September, signalling the end of his playing career was near.
“It is great to have the opportunity to play my final international game in Auckland,” Reid said.
“It’s going to be nice to come home to the city I grew up in where I first started playing football.
“It’s time for a young group to take over. There’s a lot of young players with a good future ahead of them and it’s time for me to step aside and let them run with it.
“When you get a bit older your priorities change a little bit and that’s what’s happened to me I guess. It’s just time. It feels natural.”
Born in Auckland but raised in Denmark, Reid played age-group football for Denmark before switching allegiance to New Zealand ahead of the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.
He announced himself on the international stage by scoring a last-minute equaliser to secure a famous 1-1 draw against Slovakia in the All Whites’ opening game of the World Cup – a goal that remains one of New Zealand’s most iconic sporting moments.
Reid’s performances at the World Cup landed him a move to Premier League club West Ham.
He made 222 across all competitions for West Ham but his 11-year stint was riddled with injuries.
“The World Cup was special for me because I was very young and playing and scoring in it was amazing.
“It’s something I’ll always be thankful for and grateful for. But I’ve been fortunate enough to have a long career, for both club and country, and captaining the national team has been an honour.”
All Whites coach Danny Hay, who, like Reid, was also a centre-back during his playing days, paid tribute to his skipper following news of his retirement, describing Reid as a “true legend” of New Zealand football.
Reid made his debut against Australia in 2010 and has gone on to play 32 times for the All Whites.
“Winnie is a true legend of New Zealand football who paved the way for future players, along with other legends like Ryan Nelsen, showing that a Kiwi kid could do it at the highest level of the game,” Hay said.
“I’ve really appreciated our time together since I’ve been All Whites head coach. The mana he holds within this group of players is inspiring and I know he is someone the squad have hugely benefited from being around on and off the pitch.”
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