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Smith Delighted to Get World Cup Call - Ipswich Town News

Central defender Tommy Smith says he is delighted to have had his place in the New Zealand World Cup squad confirmed. All Whites coach Ricki Herbert announced his 23 for South Africa overnight.

Smith, who made his New Zealand debut in the recent friendly against Mexico in LA, told the club site: "I'm really looking forward to it. It's every kid's dream to play in the World Cup.

"The manager had some encouraging words to say to me when we met up for the Mexico game and I felt I had a good chance of being in the squad, but it's great when you know you are definitely going to the tournament.

"I'm flying down to New Zealand later this week and will meet up with the squad from there.

"Hopefully I will have time to catch up with my family, I've got a brother and sister living in New Zealand. Then we play Australia in Melbourne with 100,000 watching, which is going to be a great occasion.

"We've got a training camp in Austria, which will be at high altitude to give us a taste of what conditions will be like in South Africa, and then we play friendlies against Serbia and Slovenia before going to South Africa for another warm-up game against Chile."

Smith will be the first Town player to appear in the World Cup since Matt Holland played for the Republic of Ireland and Amir Karic featured for Slovenia at the 2002 tournament.

New Zealand: Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn), James Bannatyne (Team Wellington), Andy Barron (Team Wellington), Leo Bertos (Wellington Phoenix), Andy Boyens (New York Red Bulls), Jeremy Brockie (Newcastle Jets), Tim Brown (Wellington Phoenix), Jeremy Christie (FC Tampa Bay Rowdies), Aaron Clapham (Canterbury United), Simon Elliott (unattached), Rory Fallon (Plymouth Argyle), Chris Killen (Middlesbrough), Tony Lochhead (Wellington Phoenix), Michael McGlinchey (Motherwell), Glen Moss (Melbourne Victory), David Mulligan, Mark Paston (Wellington Phoenix), Winston Reid (FC Midtjylland, Denmark), Ben Sigmund (Wellington Phoenix), Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast United), Tommy Smith (Ipswich Town), Ivan Vicelich (Auckland City), Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion).

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