New Zealand head coach Ricki Herbert has revealed that Town defender Tommy Smith has emailed him to accept the offer of a place in his squad for next summer’s World Cup. Smith, who has previously represented England at U17 level, qualifies for New Zealand having lived there between the ages of eight and 16.

Herbert says Smith replied to his recent email saying that he’d be delighted to join the 23-man New Zealand party in South Africa: "Tommy was very excited about the prospect - he is a young man with a big future. I've asked New Zealand Football to start doing the paperwork.

"It's wonderful news for us. I hope there are no obstacles and I think the process should be pretty straightforward as it was for Rory Fallon and Michael McGlinchey."

New Zealand are hopeful that 19-year-old Smith will be able to take part in some of their warm-up matches prior to the tournament, although given the travelling these may clash to some extent with Town’s domestic programme.

Smith is likely to make his New Zealand debut in their friendly against Mexico in Los Angeles on March 3rd.

Recent changes to FIFA rules allow players who have appeared at levels up to U21 to change their international allegiance if they qualify for another country. Recent loan keeper Asmir Begovic switched from Canada to Bosnia earlier in the year.

New Zealand previously tried to recruit Macclesfield-born Smith in January 2007 for their U17 squad, but soon afterwards he was called up by England with whom he played at the FIFA U17 World Cup.

New Zealand will face Italy, Paraguay and Slovakia in World Cup Group F in South Africa.

Photo: Action Images

farquinell added 06:51 - Dec 23 mariner but i think that was arsenal days, when we gave the current england center forward away for 150,000 and had to take that donky sunderland for 50,000 lol and sold butcher for 750,000 to rangers when norwich sold thier donky to everton over a million, God we have undersold our best players over the years!
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BlueFinn added 09:16 - Dec 23 Good move for the boy.A world shouldn't do harma for him. It did for Alan Brazil though in 1982 when he was in Spain with Scotland.The heat did him, some sort of exhaustion and he wasn't quite the some player ever after. The trouble with knee started soon also after he had switched to Spurs and he had to quit at 27. In the great 80-82 team he was the one who build up our attacks with the Dutch duo.Of course it was A TEAM foremost. Oh boy, THOSE were the days... He's my all time favourite.But a centre half called Tommy Smith has something going for him too.

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newburyblue added 10:08 - Dec 23 Mariner, Mills and Butcher were all with Ipswich when in the England 1982 WC squad and Brazil, Wark and Burley were all in the Scotland squad in the same World Cup.
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kesblue added 13:12 - Dec 25 Butch was a town player at the 86 world cup,he joined rangers straight after.
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