Young Kiwis in UK

So, just to confirm, you honestly believe that a J-League Club is of better quality than a premiership side?

Another more relevant point is that the list of options up front for the All Whites is pretty short whereas with Nelson, Boyens, and Siggy (plus the likes of Michael Boxall, Peverley, Pelter and Co) we're not exactly short of Centre Backs.

If Junior Fitzgerald was knocking in a goal a game playing for his Japan College side then he might be on the radar.  Kris Bright has made the squad by scoring regularly at a lower level.

First of all this thread is about young kiwis in the UK, not Japan, so use another thread for your wyners worship.

Second of all analyser, it is disingenuous to say that he has been playing for the reserves as there is no reserve league. As his mother wrote on another thread, he has been selected in first team squads but hasn't played. I'm sure once he gets some time playing at first team level he'll be looked at but while he's not playing football matches it's pretty difficult to make a case for selecting him.

sorry to continue the non-uk talk. but for what you are saying James Dean that neither Costa/Draper/Spoonley should have ever played for the age groups in the last 2 years, considering their game time was pretty much nil. obviously we don't know how good this japan lad is without him getting a look in.

Sorry Dean, you have to agree with Jamesamk arguement there, getting game time isn't necessary for gaining selection in New Zealand age group squads.

It's great to hear that Chris is doing so well! Hope he can go all the way and make a name for himself in the EPL or whatever league he ends up playing in.

IV]I am just glad that we do now seem to be having some good young players to look at. 5 years ago there wasn't too many, now there seems to be a few popping up, Milne etc.

Wishing the best of luck to a couple of our up and coming young players- Cameron Lindsay (Blackburn) and Andrew Milne (Rangers) on there way to play the U17 Japanese National team for NZ under 17 team this week in Fukuoka, Japan..

The Japanese will have an advantage of having played together as a team for the last year whereas the NZ team will be trying new combinations with these boys involved for the up and coming World Cup qualifiers next month in NZ - foremost in there minds.
They will also be playing the top high school from Thailand and a Korean High School which has a Korean National team member in there squad.

Poly stiffs remain top of the table after another scorching 4-0 victory.  A 1-1 draw with Nottsborough two weeks ago have made things difficult as they are only a point behind with 3 games in hand. james dean2009-03-17 23:23:38

Further updates from the past couple of weeks

All the debate on NZFC v J League v A League v American Universites v English Leagues v European Leagues. To me the important thing is we now have Kiwis involved in some form in all of them. It is no long a dream but a reality and must offer encouragement to any young player coming through. Also there is the buzz it must give the coaches who for little reward have given up their time to get these players to this level.

Northampton Under 18s 1-2 Wycombe Under 18s  Mark withers scored

RE: CHRIS WOOD

Had a Reserve game last Monday against Spurs, on the bench until 61st minute-did well considering the class of players on the pitch , held his own. Fans seem pleased with him, the following link shows some discussion by them regarding the academy boys: http://boards.footymad.net/forum.php?tno=550&fid=255&sty=2&act=1&mid=2126462825

West Brom Reserve game against Portsmouth (away) on Tuesday. Hopefully Chris will get a run but seeing as the 1st team did not play over the weekend Tony Mowbray may want to give the Pros a run.

Woods has a talent very few have he,s a natural goalscorer.he,s playing reguarly for the reserves and is on the verge of his Premier League debut.He,s far better than Bright or Smith and should be in the All Whites of course problem is his dad is not a mate of Ricki,s!!

Whatcha mean?  Don't they see eye to eye or something???

no i mean his dad is not dave bright or ian smith and you know how Ricky operates its jobs for his favourites other wise why would Jeremy Christie be anywhere near a pro team                                                                                                                            n

Chris Woods is on the bench today for the Premiership game against Portsmouth. Kick off in 15mins.

Congratulations to him, this amazing news. Fingers crossed he gets on the field.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7978849.stm

Excellent he got on in the 75minute. I will have to watch the highlights to see how he went, didn't get a mention in the bbc match report though.

Portsmouth: James, Kaboul, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Pennant (Gekas 90), Mullins, Hughes, Nugent (Belhadj 64), Kranjcar, Crouch.
Subs Not Used: Begovic, Pamarot, Kanu, Utaka, Basinas.

Booked: Hreidarsson, Kranjcar, Kaboul.

Goals: Kaboul 33, Kranjcar 65.

West Brom: Carson, Zuiverloon (Hoefkens 77), Meite, Olsson, Robinson, Morrison (Chris Woods 75), Greening, Koren, Dorrans, Brunt (Mulumbu 81), Fortune.
Subs Not Used: Kiely, Menseguez, Borja Valero, Simpson.

Booked: Dorrans.

Goals: Greening 48, Brunt 62.

Att: 20,376

Ref: Mike Dean (Wirral).

That's excellent new LC.  He didn't get a mention on Soccernet either but I'll check if I have recorded it overnight.

Came close to scoring, "jsut over the bar"

So that makes how many kiwis to have played top flight football in England now?

He'd be the youngest to make it though??

I hope he soon cements a place in the first team.  I trust he is only elligible for NZ?  Don't want him to pull a Michael McGlinghley on us.

Give him a cap and lock him down, we've got a striker playing Premier League Football

Only Nelsen, Elliot, Hay, and Wood that I can think of.

Agreed.  Playing for WBA has to mean he's at least the quality of many of the a-league strikers so I'll expect to see him in Ricki's Confederations Cup squad.  I hope it isn't true that there's a chance he won't be selected based on Ricki and Chris's father not seeing eye-to-eye.  Immaturity like that is only detrimental.

Lee Norfolk played in old First Division I think (and is something considered the 5th in English top flight).

get him in the AW squad!

That really is incredible.

Congratulations Chris Only turned 17 in December.
Hopefully he continues to get game time in the first team.
Grant and Julie must be very proud as they too have made sacrifices for Chris to follow his dream. Now it is all starting to pay off.

He would have to do a reverse McGlinchey on us, he's already played for NZ at U-17 level.  He would have to declare a change before his 21st birthday.

Wish the media had cught it, would have been a better focus for News items than focussin on a 17yo Italian.
Hard News2009-04-12 21:21:31

Lee Norfolk played for Ipswich in 1995 I think, so was a premiership player. Makes Wood the 5th Kiwi.

Lee Norfolk definitely played premier league for the tractor boys, think he played in our 9-0 thrashing by Man Utd so 5th player, and would surely be the youngest.  Great stuff for the young man, hopefully he gets as much game time in the top flight as possible to show his stuff before they go down.

I've got two programs with him in them.  One an Ipswich one, possibly from his debut against Southampton - signed, and the other from him playing for North Shore United at Porritt Stadium against Waikato United when Wynton recruited anyone who was anyone to play for NSU and they were a resounding flop.

This is the highest domestic level that any kiwi striker post Wynton has played in. 

Here's hoping Ricki does the smart thing and call him up asap (and yes before you mention Killy, I know he has played Euro footie but he has never graced one of Europe's elite leagues).

He's been a machine for me on FM 08 & 09 and its good to see him replicating that in real life.
disco_mart2009-04-13 06:10:09

This is a very good point.

The only unfortunate thing is that West Brom are going down. Hope he gets signed by someone else in the summer or if not that then is at least a 1st team reg in the Championship next year.

He is four months younger than Frederico Macheda

Youngest player in the Prem League this year?