Club World Cup star going back to day job as a PE teacher after scoring goal that netted amateur side $1MILLION
Christian Gray, 28, left his school behind to appear for part-time Auckland City in the United States alongside delivery drivers, forklift operators and a Coca-Cola salesman.
Advertisement
3
Christian Gray earned Auckland City $1m in prize money with his goal at the Club World Cup
Credit: AP
3
After scoring past Boca Juniors, he will return to life as a PE teacher back home
Credit: Getty
But several members of the amateur squad missed out on playing against some of the world's biggest clubs - because they
Gray was an unused sub in the
But he earned himself a starting spot in Auckland's third and final group game against South American giants Boca Juniors, who had Edinson Cavani up front.
And with his side trailing 1-0 at half-time, Gray headed in from a corner to score a dramatic equaliser.
Advertisement
READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
Despite Boca's 40 shots,
Now the centre-back must head back home and crack on with marking his students' papers during the school holidays.
Player-of-the-match Gray said: "I'm a PE teacher.
Advertisement
Most read in Football
Warning
"When I get home, I've got a few assignments that have piled up over the last month so that's what I'll be going back to and the school holidays thankfully.
CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
"I'm from a small town, a long way from here and a lot different to this environment. So it is somewhat of a dream so I'm a little bit lost for words.
"We'll be going back to our day jobs, that's the reality for us."
Advertisement
Inter Milan star Denzel Dumfries chased off the pitch as huge brawl breaks out after fiery Club World Cup clash
But he will have some stories to tell his pupils when he returns to Auckland Grammar School from his Club World Cup American adventure, capped off in perfect style.
Gray added: "I don't love the spotlight. I'll leave that to the other boys, but, yes, a lot of emotions.
"It's been a tough trip. We've had some tough results, but I'm just happy for the team and the boys. I think we deserve it.
'We've got a little bit of respect."
Advertisement
Boca failed to advance to the knockout stages as Benfica topped Group C and will play
Bayern
3
Gray made good contact from a corner to head in the equaliser
Credit: Reuters
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Galway teenager John Shortt storms into world final
Ireland's John Shortt has stormed into the 100m backstroke final at the World Aquatics Junior Championships in Otopenia, Romania. The 18-year-old, Ireland's only representative at the championships, set a new Irish junior record in qualifying. Shortt, the 2025 European junior champion in the event, is now the second fastest Irishman ever over the distance after a swim of 53.80 in Tuesday's semi-final. Only Shane Ryan's 2019 Irish record of 53.73 is faster. The Galway native cruised through the heats in 54.39 in fourth overall. Tuesday's first semi-final saw Shortt, and American Gavin Keogh (53.52) take the top two spots for Wednesday's final, the second semi-final won by neutral athlete Georgii Iokevlev in 53.90. "I am very very happy with that swim, a PB which is nice," said Shortt. "You know since trials (in April) I haven't been 53 in that event, so to be 53.8 there I'm absolutely delighted with that. It's going to be a really really close final tomorrow, three of us going 53's and the Aussie going 54.0. It's going to be a very very packed final (on Wednesday), but I've just got to keep doing my own thing and I'll be ok. "I was very surprised as well with that swim, because coming off the back of (the world senior championships) it's been - to be completely honest - a very lonely ten days in between. So just want to give massive credit to (my coach) John Szaranek for keeping me going these past ten days or so because it's just been the two of us really. It's been great and I've loved it and I really want to end the season on a big high." The final will take place at 4:02pm on Wednesday.
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
US Open LIVE SCORES: Mixed doubles on NOW with Williams in action as Raducanu and Alcaraz face Draper and Pegula later
All recommendations within this article are informed by expert editorial opinion. If you click on a link in this story we may earn affiliate revenue. MIXING IT UP US Open LIVE SCORES: Mixed doubles on NOW with Williams in action as Raducanu and Alcaraz face Draper and Pegula later US OPEN action is HERE - with the freshly revamped mixed doubles underway. Taylor Fritz and Elena Rybakina were on the end of a defeat in the last-16, losing in straight sets to reigning champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori. Venus Williams is set to feature alongside Reilly Opalenka as one of the many big names in action today. Jannik Sinner withdrew from the event after retiring from the Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz last night due to illness. Sinner and his partner, Katerina Siniakova, have been replaced by American duo Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison - and they will face Alexander Zverev and Belinda Bencic this evening. Alcaraz will feature today as he teams up with Emma Raducanu to face Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula. Start-time: 11am ET / 4pm BST 11am ET / 4pm BST TV channel: ESPN / Sky Sports Follow ALL the latest from the mixed doubles below...
Irish Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Lowry faces nervous Ryder Cup wait as automatic qualification spot under threat
Shane Lowry faces a nervous weekend as he waits to see whether he will be pipped for the final Ryder Cup automatic qualification spot. Lowry currently holds the sixth and final qualification spot for the Ryder Cup, but he will be knocked out of the top-six should Rasmus Hojgaard finish in a two-way tie for 29th or better at the British Masters this weekend. Offaly native Lowry has long been considered to be a lock to automatically qualify for Team Europe as the Ryder Cup takes place at Bethpage Black in New York. Lowry starred in both defeat in 2021 and glorious victory in 2023, with the Open Champion a wildcard pick on both occasions. Luke Donald will name his six wildcard picks on Monday September 1st, and it is not expected that there will be wholesale changes to the team that won in Rome two years ago. Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Robert MacIntyre have sealed five of the six automatic qualification spots. One of Lowry or Hojgaard will take the final spot, with the other almost certainly securing a pick from Donald, with Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Ludvig Aberg, Sepp Straka and Viktor Hovland likely to be picked barring a major surprise from Donald. On the US side of the equation, Scottie Scheffler, JJ Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Harris English and Bryson DeChambeau have all secured qualification as the home side look to regain the trophy on American soil. Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin and Sam Burns are all expected to join Scheffler and Co in representing the red, white and blue, but speculation persists over whether captain Keegan Bradley will use his final pick to select himself. The 39-year-old hasn't committed to naming himself, nor has he confirmed that he would be selecting another in form player such as Cameron Young or Chris Gotterup. Should he select himself, Bradley will become the first playing captain in the Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer led the Americans in 1963. (Image: Michael Miller/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images) One man who has no interest in being a playing captain is Rory McIlroy, who last week revealed that he has already shot down that notion. "I've been asked to do that and I've turned it down,' said McIlroy, who was the first player to automatically qualify for Europe's team for next month's event at Bethpage in New York. 'The idea of me being a playing captain sometime soon has come up and I've shot it down straight away because I don't think you can do it. 'If you'd have said it 20 years ago I'd say it was probably possible to do, but how big of a spectacle it is and everything that's on the line in a Ryder Cup now, I just think it would be a very difficult position to be in. 'There's a lot of things that people don't see that the captain does the week of the Ryder Cup, especially now that the Ryder Cup has become so big. 'The captain's only going to be able to play one session on Friday, one session on Saturday. Would you rather not have a player that has the flexibility to go twice if he's playing well?'
