Ryan Thomas returns to All Whites squad
- Dave Worsley
- 13 hours ago
- 2 min read
The All Whites squad to face Australia’s Socceroos next month, in Canberra and Auckland has been confirmed, with Ryan Thomas returning to the side for the first time since November 2019.
Thomas’s recall comes after the midfielder recovered from a long-term injury, limiting playing time over the past few seasons, and returned to first team action with PEC Zwolle in the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football.
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Head coach Darren Bazeley’s side also features Brisbane Roar defender James McGarry, who has been named for the first time in two years.
The 23-player squad includes seven players now based in the UK, seven in New Zealand, two in both Australia and the USA, and one in each of Denmark, France, Netherlands, Norway, and Serbia.
All Whites head coach Darren Bazeley is pleased to welcome Thomas, 30 back to the squad ahead of two big games for his side:
“It is great to be able to name Ryan in an All Whites squad for the first time in a long time.
“Ryan is a special player who I have been in regular contact with since taking on the role and who always wanted to return to the side when he was in a position to do so.
“He has made a strong start to the season and I know he will have a lot to offer this group in two big games that the whole team are looking forward to.
“Playing Australia is always a big deal but to be able to compete for a trophy, with one game at home, is massive.
“We want to go out and put in two strong performances to build on the success of the last window and continue our momentum heading into the FIFA World Cup next year.”
The All Whites face the Socceroos in a two-leg home-and-away series for the historic Soccer Ashes trophy, first at Canberra’s GIO Stadium on Friday 5 September) followed by a homecoming match at Go Media Stadium in Auckland on Tuesday 9 September.
The winner will be decided by the aggregate score across both matches, with the second leg going directly to penalties at the end of 90 minutes in the event of a tie
NZ All Whites squad:
Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe, Alex Paulsen, Oli Sail
Defenders: Callan Elliot, Tim Payne, Tyler Bindon, Michael Boxall, Finn Surman, Liberato Cacace, Francis de Vries, James McGarry
Midfielders: Joe Bell, Elijah Just, Ben Old, Alex Rufer, Sarpreet Singh, Marko Stamenić, Ryan Thomas
Forwards: Kosta Barbarouses, Callum McCowatt, Jesse Randall, Logan Rogerson, Chris Wood
Fixtures (NZ time)
Friday, September 5, 9.45pm: v Socceroos; GIO Stadium, Canberra
Tuesday, September 9, 7pm: v Socceroos; Go Media Stadium, Auckland