Latest news with #RyanThomas
Reuters
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Reuters
New Zealand excited by return of forgotten midfielder Thomas
Aug 19 (Reuters) - After six injury-blighted years in Dutch club soccer, midfielder Ryan Thomas is set to make his long-awaited New Zealand return in a pair of friendlies against Australia next month to the delight of All Whites coach Darren Bazeley. Thomas, whose last international appearance was a friendly against Ireland in late-2019, was named in Bazeley's squad for the trans-Tasman clashes on Tuesday. The 30-year-old's return comes after a rare period of fitness that has seen him recover a starting role for PEC Zwolle in the Dutch top tier. Having the 19-cap All White fit and firing would be a major boost for New Zealand ahead of their return to the World Cup at the 2026 finals in North America. "It's like a new signing, almost, which we don't get, obviously, because we're not a club team," Bazeley told New Zealand media on Tuesday. "Having somebody of the calibre and quality of Ryan coming back into the team is great." Hailing from Te Puke, a small town renowned in New Zealand for its kiwifruit, Thomas made his professional debut for PEC Zwolle as a 19-year-old winger before reinventing himself as a holding midfielder. A move to Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven in 2018 was hailed in New Zealand as one of the biggest signings in its football history. It all went sour within days, though, as Thomas ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament at training and spent the next few seasons battling a succession of knee problems until his release from PSV in 2022. He returned to his first club but the injuries continued at PEC Zwolle, with another round of knee surgery wiping out much of 2024. Amid his struggles, Thomas opted out of playing for international football but was among the first to congratulate captain Chris Wood when the All Whites sealed their 2026 World Cup qualification in March. Bazeley has been patient with Thomas, saying he would keep the door open as long as he could before the global showpiece in the United States, Canada and Mexico. But he was pleasantly surprised the midfielder had made himself available for the September 5 and September 9 matches against Australia, having hoped he might return for away fixtures against Poland and Norway in October. "He was like, 'Man, I've never played against Australia and I really want to play against them.' So yeah, he's in, which is great," said Bazeley. New Zealand skipper Wood, who scored a double in Nottingham Forest's Premier League opener against Brentford, was also included in Bazeley's squad for the trans-Tasman "Soccer Ashes" inspired by the cricket contest between Australia and England.
RNZ News
a day ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
All Whites midfielder Ryan Thomas returns
After six years in the international football wilderness All Whites midfielder Ryan Thomas is back. Thomas is one of 23 players named today in coach Darren Bazeley's squad for two matches against Australia next month. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
a day ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Coach on Ryan Thomas' All White return
Ryan Thomas in action for the All Whites against Peru in the 2018 World Cup Intercontinental play-offs. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/Photosport Ryan Thomas never ruled out a return to the All Whites, but the timing had to be right. The midfielder has played 19 times for the All Whites, last putting on the jersey against Ireland in Dublin in 2019, but a run of injuries and surgeries alongside limited playing minutes with two different Dutch clubs meant the 30-year-old did not want to make himself available again for the national side until he felt ready. Coach Darren Bazeley had kept close tabs on Thomas, who debuted for the All Whites as a teenager, and said it was a "relatively easy" decision to offer him a place in the squad for the upcoming two games against Australia. "He's had a really tough time of it and the last two, three years he never ruled the All Whites out, he's just said to me that he needs to have a good six months of full fitness with no injuries," Bazeley said. "He had a good end of the season last year, good off season worked hard pre-season and now he started the season really well, he's captain at his club [PEC Zwolle], playing 90 minutes which is great to see." Bazeley said Thomas was the kind of player that was worth the wait if his last performance for the All Whites was anything to go by. All Whites midfielder Ryan Thomas, centre, in action for PEC Zwolle Photo: AFP He said Thomas was a "mature and intelligent player" who had been looking at the bigger picture and his playing future when he made himself unavailable. "We have to remember that this is his life and his livelihood. He gets paid to play football and there was moments over the last few years where that was potentially in doubt, would he be able to carry on earning money playing football and that's quite daunting for a footballer to go, 'Well, what do I do next?' "He's got a family, he's got young girls and so that was what he had to prioritise, making sure that he was always in a position where he was employed. "The worry was taking on extra football in regards to [All Whites] maybe makes the percentages of getting an injury higher. "So until he felt fully fit and he wasn't worried about getting injured he didn't want to take on the extra workload and the loading but now he feels really strong, and he told me the other day, it's as fit as he's ever felt." Thomas' inclusion is one of six changes from the squad named for the 1-0 win over Ivory Coast and the 2-1 loss to Ukraine in June. While some of the All Whites' regulars, Chris Wood, Libby Cacace, Sarpeet Singh and Marko Stamenic, will be back for the Soccer Ashes , three players who switched clubs in the off season Matt Garbett, Ben Waine and Tommy Smith will not be. All White Coach Darren Bazeley. Photo: PHOTOSPORT Bazeley saw the trio as still having potential to push for FIFA World Cup spots at next year's tournament in North America. "They've newly joined [English lower league] clubs that don't stop for the international window, so if we were to call them up they would be missing games, where as everybody else, their clubs stop for the window so they're not going to miss football. "So we felt like it was a really probably the best for these three to stay at their clubs, really embed themselves into their clubs and make sure that they're getting good game time at their clubs to put themselves in the best possible position to be selected in October." For the September window, Bazeley called up seven players based in Britain, seven in New Zealand, two each in Australia and the US, and one in each of Denmark, France, Netherlands, Norway and Serbia. Despite the travel, some of them would have to endure with multiple flights to first get to Canberra for the 5 September game, and then on to Auckland four days later for the home game, Bazeley was happy with the balance of the squad and their match fitness by the time the first game was to be played. "I think it's a good blend that we have positionally and strength wise and age wise and experience wise. "Bringing in a couple of the younger players, Jesse Randall and Logan Rogerson coming back in and Callan's very young as well, he's good but we also got the experience with Woodsy and Kosta and Boxy, so I think there's a good blend in there, good balance." James McGarry also returns after two years out of the All Whites set-up. "We called James up a couple of years ago and then he got injured when he was at Aberdeen, and he got injured just before the tour, which was a shame, and since then he's moved around and fought a couple of injuries as well, and went to Greece for a while, and went back to Aberdeen and now he's ended up in Brisbane. "We felt like this was a good opportunity to bring him in and have a look at him within the camp, within the environment, and obviously it's local for him so he doesn't have the burden of long travel." The Socceroos have not named their squad yet but Bazeley expected they would take a similar approach to him. "I know [coach Tony Popovic] there's no way he'll want to lose to us, that's for sure. "He'll also be working on building towards the World Cup. So I can imagine him having a blend of similar to us, a lot of locally based domestic players and probably half of the squad coming from around Europe and Asia and they've got some players in Asia, so it's not so far, but I'm pretty sure they'll have a good balance." The games against the Socceroos represent the first time the Soccer Ashes have been contested since 2023. The Socceroos defeated the All Whites 2-0 in London to retain the title in 2023 after the contest was revived for the first time since 1954. The All Whites have lost the last seven times they have played Australia. This year the trophy will be decided on goal aggregate over a home and away leg. "It's the first time we've really had this sort of scenario, it's like we're playing those old intercontinental playoff games where there was a home and away game against Mexico and Peru. "But it will be a good experience for us, we know we're going to get a good game and Australia ranked 24 in the world - they're on a run of winning games and they've just qualified for the World Cup as well. So it's going to be super competitive. "New Zealand against Australia in any sport is competitive, but when we look at football they're a team that we haven't beaten for 23 years and that's something that the players are aware of and that they want to put right." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
a day ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Ryan Thomas returns to All Whites after six year absence
Ryan Thomas returns to the All Whites after a break of six years. Photo: AFP The All Whites have included their gun overseas stars in their squad to play the Socceroos next month. Chris Wood, Liberato Cacace, Sarpeet Singh and Marko Stamenić are among the regulars named in the 23-player squad as the All Whites look to win the two-match Soccer Ashes series. The squad also features the return of midfielder Ryan Thomas for the first time since 2019, while defender James McGarry is named for the first time in two years. The matches are in Canberra on 5 September, and Auckland four days later on 9 September. Thomas, who plays for PEC Zwolle in the top tier Dutch competition, has had a rough time with injuries in recent years, which have limited his appearances, firstly for PSV Eindhoven and latterly PSV Zwolle. But he has been a regular on the pitch for Zwolle this year and All Whites coach Darren Bazeley has clearly wanted him back in the fold, especially with next year's FIFA World Cup in North America in mind. "It is great to be able to name Ryan in an All Whites squad for the first time in a long time," Bazeley said in a statement. "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." Thomas' inclusion is one of six changes from the squad named for the 1-0 win over Ivory Coast and the 2-1 loss to Ukraine in June. Also returning to the line-up are Tim Payne, McGarry, Jesse Randall, Logan Rogerson and goalkeeper Oli Sail, who was named Tuesday as an Auckland FC recruit and replaces Nik Tzanev, who is playing for English League Two club Newport County. Others to drop out are Bill Tuiloma and Nando Pijnaker, who are both injured, and Tommy Smith, Matt Garbett and Ben Waine, who are all playing in the UK. The All Whites will be seeking to end a long drought against Australia, with their last win being in 2002 in the Oceania Nations Cup final. "Playing Australia is always a big deal but to be able to compete for a trophy, with one game at home, is massive,'' Bazeley said. "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." His squad features seven players based in Britain, seven in New Zealand, two each in Australia and the US, and one in each of Denmark, France, Netherlands, Norway, and Serbia. All Whites squad: Kosta Barbarouses (69 caps/9 goals) Western Sydney Wanderers, Australia Joe Bell (26/1) Viking FK, Norway Tyler Bindon (17/3) Sheffield United, England (on loan from Nottingham Forest) Michael Boxall (57/1) Minnesota United, USA Liberato Cacace (35/1) Wrexham AFC, Wales Max Crocombe (17/0) Millwall, England Francis De Vries (11/1) Auckland FC, Aotearoa New Zealand Callan Elliot (5/0) Auckland FC, Aotearoa New Zealand Elijah Just (36/8) Motherwell, Scotland Callum McCowatt (24/4) Silkeborg IF, Denmark James McGarry (1/0) Brisbane Roar, Australia Ben Old (14/1) AS Saint Etienne, France Alex Paulsen (3/0) AFC Bournemouth, England Tim Payne (43/3) Wellington Phoenix, Aotearoa New Zealand Jesse Randall (4/1) Auckland FC, Aotearoa New Zealand Logan Rogerson (15/2) Auckland FC, Aotearoa New Zealand Alex Rufer (21/0) Wellington Phoenix, Aotearoa New Zealand Oli Sail (9/0) Auckland FC, Aotearoa New Zealand Sarpreet Singh (20/3) FK TSC Bačka Topola, Serbia Marko Stamenić (31/3) Nottingham Forest, England Finn Surman (9/1) Portland Timbers, USA Ryan Thomas (19/3) PEC Zwolle, Netherlands Chris Wood (84/44) Nottingham Forest, England Soccer Ashes matches : At Canberra Stadium on Friday 5 September (9.45pm kickoff). At Mount Smart Stadium, Tuesday, 9 September (7pm kickoff). 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. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Deadly livestock virus travel restrictions to ease
Bluetongue virus restrictions in Wales will be eased, allowing vaccinated livestock to be taken across the border to markets in England. From Monday, livestock with a completed course of bluetongue vaccination (BTV-3) can be taken to markets within 12 miles (20km) of the Welsh border. Wales' chief vet Richard Irvine said bluetongue - a virus transmitted by midge bites that affects cattle, sheep and goats - was "a potentially devastating disease". Farmer Ryan Thomas said the restrictions, which have been in place since July, had driven prices up "because Welsh farmers are all buying stock in Wales". Movement of livestock from England into Wales is still restricted without a negative test, as is transporting unvaccinated animals across the border. Markets in England would have to hold dedicated sales of vaccinated Welsh-only livestock and adhere to strict conditions. The Welsh government said the aim is to prevent the virus spreading, but people in the farming industry warned it could be "catastrophic" for cross-border trade. Vaccine scepticism affecting bluetongue jab uptake Ancient Welsh cattle breed at risk of dying out The virus presents no threat to food safety or human health but can be fatal for livestock - there have been some cases in England, but none in Wales this year. Since 1 July the UK government has designated England a restricted zone, meaning livestock from there cannot come into Wales. Mr Thomas, who has a farm in Machynlleth, Powys, used to buy cattle from Shropshire in England but said that has changed significantly in the past six weeks. "I've had to buy in Wales but prices have risen because Welsh farmers are all buying stock in Wales." The Welsh government said vaccination was the best way of protecting livestock, but only a very small percentage of livestock have been vaccinated. As well as the conditions for animals travelling into England, from Monday any livestock returning to Wales from market must come back on the same day they left. This means they will not be subjected to any pre or post-movement testing, when conditions have been met. Markets in England within the permitted travel range are in Bishops Castle, Hereford, Kington, Ludlow, Market Drayton, Oswestry, Ross-on-Wye and Shrewsbury. Phil Thomas, a vet in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, said the move was a way of trying to help livestock trading while managing the risk of the virus spreading. "There's costs, whichever way we look at this - there's costs of the disease and also costs on trade restrictions. "This is one way of reducing those costs, by taking the animals to recognised sales, albeit with extra precautions." He added that the move opens up trade in a "risk-evaluated way". "There is a slightly increased risk of this movement, but because the stock have been vaccinated and that they originated in Wales, and that they've only been in the market for a day, then that risk is very small." Helen Roberts, of the National Sheep Association (NSA) in Wales, said only 43,000 sheep have been vaccinated, but there was still time for farmers to protect their animals "for the busy autumn period and what might be the worst time of the year for exposure to BTV depending on the weather conditions". She welcomed the easing of travel rules but encouraged producers to look at the "vaccination status of the animals". Dr Irvine said that following a review of bluetongue policy, it was agreed to make phased changes to facilitate autumn sales to balance industry needs against the risk of the disease coming into Wales. He added that further changes - including making sales of breeding stock easier at "bluetongue-approved markets" in Wales - were being considered. These could sell BTV-3 vaccinated livestock from England and Wales and markets can apply to get this status from mid-September. Related stories I care for 106 farm animals by day, and people by night Plans to reintroduce 'Pigs Village' Welsh name to Northop Hall
