January 18, 2025 • 15 mins
Wellington Phoenix have parted ways with club centurion David Ball, freeing up a spot ahead of the A-League's transfer window.
The club and English striker Ball said in a statement they'd 'mutually agreed' to terminate the remaining six months of his playing contract, ending five and a half years at the Phoenix.
Ball joined Piney to explain further.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fyne
from News Talks, it'd be.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Yeah, one hundred percent. It comes back to me really quickly. Actually.
I remember it was a bit of a whill wind
that came in.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Came in on the plane on a wet, windy well
into night, looked at that, looked across and the houses
a bit different to the UK, and it was a
bit all strange. Went to the hotel in the dark,
so I didn't really see anything. And then I woke
up that morning really early jet lag. I think like
six o'clock in the morning. I wouldn't sleep all night
(00:42):
and I walked out and it was just the crisp
well into day, flat as anything. And I remember going
out walking onto the waterfront and thinking, I think we'll
be all right here.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
I like it, you know.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
I just had this really weird sensation, and especially coming
all the way from the UK.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
And I didn't what to expect.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
But and then you know, here I am five and
a half years later.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
Yeah, and I want to talk specifics with you as well,
but then general terms, how do you reflect on your
time as a Wellington Phoenix player.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
I feel like considering everything the club's actually been through
through the five and a half year period, the two
years through COVID, I've lived in five different houses. You know,
my wife wasn't very happy about that, but we we
dug in through that time. You know, there were times
where we were a bit vulnerable as a family, but
(01:38):
we were stuck in because you know, I enjoyed playing
football here.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
But a look at it as through all that.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
To be able to finish in the top six four
out of us five years, two of those years being
a second finish and a third finish, and the year
that we actually missed out, we were playing some of
our best stuff and we just with all this. Obviously
we missed that penalty up at against Perth. We the
(02:10):
way we were playing at that moment in time, we
were good. We were good to go into the into
the playoffs. So I've also played with amazing some amazing
lads that have gone on. The young ones have gone
on to great things. I've played with some older ones
that have been on to great things. And I feel
like I've always been consistent with any role that I
(02:31):
have been asked in the football club to play, I've
played it and been consistent with the way I am
as a person. And I've always given everything I can
to each player and that I've played with, given life
and energy to them. And also then I've tried to
be the best, the best version of what I can
be in those positions and what's best for the team
(02:53):
to be successful.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
And I feel like walking away with all those.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Parts of history that the club had before I left
and being part of the new bit. I think that
the lot of strength in that, and you know, someone else,
another player and another team. Now I've got to go
on to to to.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Do all those things.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
So I'm very proud. The club looks very different now
than it did when I first game, and.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
It looks bitter. Well, well, I think you've you living
on a bit of place. Yeah, then you feel it,
and that's all anybody can ask.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
My last game, for instance, is was a packed out
sky Stadium thirty five thousand one and Atosphere to see
see parents there that I know as well from Wellington
that didn't even like football when I first came to Wellington.
You know, I've got so many friends who fell in
love with football because their kids were kids friends of
mine that now they play football all the time, you know,
(03:50):
I've had been able to touch some some of the
hearts of the parents to actually come and come come
to the games and be part of Wellington Phoenix and
see all them just going crazy in the crowd, and
to create that moment to finish that has me my
last moment is pretty pretty insane.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
Are you? Are you willing to share with that's what's
happened in the last few months.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, I think ultimately.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
It's you know, a discussion was had at the start
of the season that you know beyond I think, chee.
If you knew that I wanted to play beyond the
year of my contract, you know, and I've made that
pretty clear and you know over the past few years,
then I want to try to get to thirty seven
playing professional football because that's twenty years in the game.
(04:41):
And then he had a discussion with me that, you know,
the way he's going forward in his planning past that
year probably wouldn't have me involved in it.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
I was, you know, obviously ultimately quite upset.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
But when I mean upset, I mean upset is in
the fact that I knew that my time at the
Phoenix will probably end at the end of the season.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
Right, So he was to about nips beyond this current season.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Yeah, yeah, so you know, but the football in me said, look,
he's the boss.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
He makes the decisions.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
I can't change that, and ultimately he's going to do
what's best for for him moving forward as well.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
And you know I respected that.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
So from on that that from that position, you know,
I had I had a hernie operation in the summer.
I was playing with a hernie for probably the last
two or three months of last season that I thought
was os pubis. So I was when I came back
into preseason, I just wasn't. I wasn't right physically. My
body wasn't wasn't right, and I was when I was
(05:47):
shooting the ball or running, I was wincing.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
It was really bad.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
So when seeing the doctor got that done, got the
herne operation, which and then I thought on new lease
of life.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
To be honest with you, my body, for all of
a sudden felt felt really good again. I knew that.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
I don't only played I think sixty minutes against Newcastle
Jets and the twenty minutes against Central Coast that was
eighteen minutes. Going into the season, it was nowhere near
enough for the way I like to play in the
and the loads that I need.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
So we had a discussion.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
He rang me up after the Western United game and
we decided that it would be best for me to
go and play some games in the reserves. I was
totally understanding of that, and he then I went and
did that. I enjoyed that time going down now playing
with the young lads as well and bringing me experience,
(06:39):
but also knew I had to get up to the
minutes and then and the loads, so I did as
many as I could to get the ninety minutes because
I knew that I wanted to come into the team
if I was going to come into the team and
make an impact.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Unfortunately, that was that was, that was it.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
You know, I trained every day. I was a good professional.
The manager, you know, chief heir, picks the team at
the end of the day, does what's best for him.
And you know, I have to you respect that as
a player when you've played for so many time and
if you're not if you're not in his plans, you're
just not in his plans. And you know, I've not
(07:16):
missed a training session for four months now and working
really hard to and just I've been the same person.
I've been trying to help and in the background and
with a young lads and have been, but ultimately it's
just they didn't materialize into trying to help the team.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
And and that's where we're at.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
I'm sure we'll me, me and Chief of go and
have a conversation and see where the breakdown was.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
But he I do respect Chief he as a person.
I've been with him for five years.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
He's a he's.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
A good guy. He's done.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
He's done some good, amazing things last season as well
with with a squad and stuff like that. So you know,
ultimately have to respect the manager. And you know, I
always say that the manager and the clubs are two
different things, and they picked the team ultimately, and as
a player you've got to respect that and do everything
you can possibly to get yourself back in.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
And I can say I did that.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
And you know, the club's been fantastic women from day once,
what food the door, they've been, They've been really open, honest,
and you know, I couldn't fank them enough as well
with the the the way they've they've parted my ways
with me, They've been fantastic.
Speaker 4 (08:33):
You could easily have dropped your lip. I'm sure other
players and as similar as a position have done so,
but you keept on turning up. You're trained every day
and on top of that, you continue to help the
younger players and the team who work it in games. Now,
there's a famous photo of the Luke Brooksmith coming out
for his home debowen and in the first guy he
comes over to, you know, to get reassurance from before
(08:55):
the game starts. As you what is it you know
that drives you to continue to want to help the
others and the football team even when things aren't going
your way in this serially.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
You've just got to you've got to look at it
the way like I said before, if if you you've
got to show those young lads that this is how
it is to be professional footballer. No matter the position
you are in or the vulnerability that you're in and
feeling and you know sort of that helpless position, you
can always use your energy differently and I felt using
(09:30):
my energy to guide myself through the process of this
was to continue to do what I love doing, and
that's helping the young ones. And Luke's no different. You know,
we stay out, we do finishing after after after some
of the sessions, we go through stuff that it can improve.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Same with luke'suppick.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Saying with Gabby, you know, these are all lads of
trying to to help. I think saying goodbye to them
the other day was actually the hardest thing. I got
a bit upset saying goodbye to those lads. They've got
a bit upset as well. You know, I've spent a
lot of time with trying to to use my time
of not being playing on a pitch in a better way,
(10:13):
and I felt like the best way to do that
was was to help those lads, because ultimately I want,
no matter what, I want the team to do well.
I'm a I'll be a Phoenix fan. Now my kids
are Phoenix fans. I want the team to do well,
and I'll be celebrating the goals just like a fan.
So yeah, that's that's the best I can put it
(10:35):
by here.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
On the field. You were from my recollection anyway, the
quickest to one hundred games for the team, in terms
of from the moment you walked in the door until
you walked out for your hundred game, ultra consistent. I
think ninety five of your first one hundred games were
starts and then you look at the numbers and apart
(10:56):
from your goals, the assists are the thing that stands
out most to me the way you linked that play.
And it might not have even been the assist, but
sometimes you talk about the assist the assess and Vinnie
Lea I used to get used to never get steps
in his favor, but he was often the guy who
gave the board of the guy who hit the goal
on how much of your game is about making other
(11:18):
players around you bidder?
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Oh that's If you speak to anyone who played with
me in England, they did say the same thing. You know,
I was always a pretty consistent eight nine goals a
season in the UK and then maybe twelve in assists
have got more system.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
I would goals to a certain extent.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
I feel like that's you know, I think Whenough he
signed me, I think that's what he brought me in
for because he said to me. I remember him saying
to me, don't worry, I'm bringing in number nine with you.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
You know what I mean? And that was hoops.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
So so he knew my game, he knew my versatility
to be able to play across that front. Four in
different systems deeper up the front, and I think that's
why we worked so well together with Wuffy as well.
And the part of my game has always been that
I think every lad who's probably play up front with
(12:06):
me has always scored loads of goals. You look at
Hoop scored double figures, Thomas scored double figures as a
wider scored double figures. Costa only to an extent played
up front with me, And you know, I've always been
a good foil and there's nothing wrong with that. I
get a lot out of bringing people into the game,
connecting the play, looking forward, looking forward to them forward
(12:29):
passes like you said, they'll probably if I if we
did we did the past of the past, I'd probably
be on probably fifty sixty, do you know what I mean?
So I never came as an out and out goal scorer.
I can pretty be honest and say that. And all
my stuff's been from open play as well. You know,
it's not been from set players or anything like that.
It's all been from open play. So you know, I
(12:51):
walk away happy with the fact that, yeah, yeah, you know,
I probably got more. I got more assistant goals, and
that is me as a player, So yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
So what now, what what is next?
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Look, I feel really good, really really fit. Like I said,
I've been working working really hard. I've not I've not
put my foot off the gas. So you know, I'm
a fit player who thinks that there's you know, I'm
an asset to someone at this moment in time to
the end of the season or whatever that may be.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
So I'm gonna you know, my wife's been through.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
A lot, We've been through a lot at the moment
with with a family member who's who's not been well
back in the UK, so we've we might look to
to go home to to see him.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
So you know, this process has been.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
It's been a tough, tough decision and one that's not
been made lightly at all.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
But ultimately I think it's the best for both parties.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
And you know, it's just it's just it's you know,
I'm very sad, just a sad, sad time and sad
sad day to two.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
To end like this.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
You know, everyone will say they have different in visions
of where you finish your time at the club, and
you know, I wish that I was walking out with
my boys on the last day and way of giving
a way to everyone. But you know, football is a
football is a different injuries industry. Things changed very quickly
and and I think that's this is one of them,
one of them situations.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
And just to financial I asked you this question at
the Proofs conference, but I'll ask it again. How would
you like to be remembered by Wellington Phoenix fans?
Speaker 3 (14:28):
Oh energetic, good person, someone who always who always stayed
behind to sign an autograph, have a minute with people,
someone who left the club and in a better way
(14:48):
in someone that they enjoyed watching and being part of
their football club. Because there's been so many good people
I've met in this country and met this football club, volunteers,
staff players. I just want to be remembered as a
good football and a good on a good person.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
I've been watching this team since two thousand and seven.
I've seen a lot of games and a lot of
Phoenix footballers and your legacy is as well and truly
secure balling. Congratulations on a tremendous career at this football club.
Thank you for all the joy that you gave to
fans over the last five and a half years. Wish
you and the family all the best for whatever the
future might hold.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Thanks by Thanks mate.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk Said Be weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fyne
from News Talks, it'd be.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Yeah, one hundred percent. It comes back to me really quickly. Actually.
I remember it was a bit of a whill wind
that came in.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Came in on the plane on a wet, windy well
into night, looked at that, looked across and the houses
a bit different to the UK, and it was a
bit all strange. Went to the hotel in the dark,
so I didn't really see anything. And then I woke
up that morning really early jet lag. I think like
six o'clock in the morning. I wouldn't sleep all night
(00:42):
and I walked out and it was just the crisp
well into day, flat as anything. And I remember going
out walking onto the waterfront and thinking, I think we'll
be all right here.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
I like it, you know.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
I just had this really weird sensation, and especially coming
all the way from the UK.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
And I didn't what to expect.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
But and then you know, here I am five and
a half years later.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
Yeah, and I want to talk specifics with you as well,
but then general terms, how do you reflect on your
time as a Wellington Phoenix player.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
I feel like considering everything the club's actually been through
through the five and a half year period, the two
years through COVID, I've lived in five different houses. You know,
my wife wasn't very happy about that, but we we
dug in through that time. You know, there were times
where we were a bit vulnerable as a family, but
(01:38):
we were stuck in because you know, I enjoyed playing
football here.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
But a look at it as through all that.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
To be able to finish in the top six four
out of us five years, two of those years being
a second finish and a third finish, and the year
that we actually missed out, we were playing some of
our best stuff and we just with all this. Obviously
we missed that penalty up at against Perth. We the
(02:10):
way we were playing at that moment in time, we
were good. We were good to go into the into
the playoffs. So I've also played with amazing some amazing
lads that have gone on. The young ones have gone
on to great things. I've played with some older ones
that have been on to great things. And I feel
like I've always been consistent with any role that I
(02:31):
have been asked in the football club to play, I've
played it and been consistent with the way I am
as a person. And I've always given everything I can
to each player and that I've played with, given life
and energy to them. And also then I've tried to
be the best, the best version of what I can
be in those positions and what's best for the team
(02:53):
to be successful.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
And I feel like walking away with all those.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Parts of history that the club had before I left
and being part of the new bit. I think that
the lot of strength in that, and you know, someone else,
another player and another team. Now I've got to go
on to to to.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Do all those things.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
So I'm very proud. The club looks very different now
than it did when I first game, and.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
It looks bitter. Well, well, I think you've you living
on a bit of place. Yeah, then you feel it,
and that's all anybody can ask.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
My last game, for instance, is was a packed out
sky Stadium thirty five thousand one and Atosphere to see
see parents there that I know as well from Wellington
that didn't even like football when I first came to Wellington.
You know, I've got so many friends who fell in
love with football because their kids were kids friends of
mine that now they play football all the time, you know,
(03:50):
I've had been able to touch some some of the
hearts of the parents to actually come and come come
to the games and be part of Wellington Phoenix and
see all them just going crazy in the crowd, and
to create that moment to finish that has me my
last moment is pretty pretty insane.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
Are you? Are you willing to share with that's what's
happened in the last few months.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, I think ultimately.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
It's you know, a discussion was had at the start
of the season that you know beyond I think, chee.
If you knew that I wanted to play beyond the
year of my contract, you know, and I've made that
pretty clear and you know over the past few years,
then I want to try to get to thirty seven
playing professional football because that's twenty years in the game.
(04:41):
And then he had a discussion with me that, you know,
the way he's going forward in his planning past that
year probably wouldn't have me involved in it.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
I was, you know, obviously ultimately quite upset.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
But when I mean upset, I mean upset is in
the fact that I knew that my time at the
Phoenix will probably end at the end of the season.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
Right, So he was to about nips beyond this current season.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Yeah, yeah, so you know, but the football in me said, look,
he's the boss.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
He makes the decisions.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
I can't change that, and ultimately he's going to do
what's best for for him moving forward as well.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
And you know I respected that.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
So from on that that from that position, you know,
I had I had a hernie operation in the summer.
I was playing with a hernie for probably the last
two or three months of last season that I thought
was os pubis. So I was when I came back
into preseason, I just wasn't. I wasn't right physically. My
body wasn't wasn't right, and I was when I was
(05:47):
shooting the ball or running, I was wincing.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
It was really bad.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
So when seeing the doctor got that done, got the
herne operation, which and then I thought on new lease
of life.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
To be honest with you, my body, for all of
a sudden felt felt really good again. I knew that.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
I don't only played I think sixty minutes against Newcastle
Jets and the twenty minutes against Central Coast that was
eighteen minutes. Going into the season, it was nowhere near
enough for the way I like to play in the
and the loads that I need.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
So we had a discussion.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
He rang me up after the Western United game and
we decided that it would be best for me to
go and play some games in the reserves. I was
totally understanding of that, and he then I went and
did that. I enjoyed that time going down now playing
with the young lads as well and bringing me experience,
(06:39):
but also knew I had to get up to the
minutes and then and the loads, so I did as
many as I could to get the ninety minutes because
I knew that I wanted to come into the team
if I was going to come into the team and
make an impact.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Unfortunately, that was that was, that was it.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
You know, I trained every day. I was a good professional.
The manager, you know, chief heir, picks the team at
the end of the day, does what's best for him.
And you know, I have to you respect that as
a player when you've played for so many time and
if you're not if you're not in his plans, you're
just not in his plans. And you know, I've not
(07:16):
missed a training session for four months now and working
really hard to and just I've been the same person.
I've been trying to help and in the background and
with a young lads and have been, but ultimately it's
just they didn't materialize into trying to help the team.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
And and that's where we're at.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
I'm sure we'll me, me and Chief of go and
have a conversation and see where the breakdown was.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
But he I do respect Chief he as a person.
I've been with him for five years.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
He's a he's.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
A good guy. He's done.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
He's done some good, amazing things last season as well
with with a squad and stuff like that. So you know,
ultimately have to respect the manager. And you know, I
always say that the manager and the clubs are two
different things, and they picked the team ultimately, and as
a player you've got to respect that and do everything
you can possibly to get yourself back in.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
And I can say I did that.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
And you know, the club's been fantastic women from day once,
what food the door, they've been, They've been really open, honest,
and you know, I couldn't fank them enough as well
with the the the way they've they've parted my ways
with me, They've been fantastic.
Speaker 4 (08:33):
You could easily have dropped your lip. I'm sure other
players and as similar as a position have done so,
but you keept on turning up. You're trained every day
and on top of that, you continue to help the
younger players and the team who work it in games. Now,
there's a famous photo of the Luke Brooksmith coming out
for his home debowen and in the first guy he
comes over to, you know, to get reassurance from before
(08:55):
the game starts. As you what is it you know
that drives you to continue to want to help the
others and the football team even when things aren't going
your way in this serially.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
You've just got to you've got to look at it
the way like I said before, if if you you've
got to show those young lads that this is how
it is to be professional footballer. No matter the position
you are in or the vulnerability that you're in and
feeling and you know sort of that helpless position, you
can always use your energy differently and I felt using
(09:30):
my energy to guide myself through the process of this
was to continue to do what I love doing, and
that's helping the young ones. And Luke's no different. You know,
we stay out, we do finishing after after after some
of the sessions, we go through stuff that it can improve.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Same with luke'suppick.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Saying with Gabby, you know, these are all lads of
trying to to help. I think saying goodbye to them
the other day was actually the hardest thing. I got
a bit upset saying goodbye to those lads. They've got
a bit upset as well. You know, I've spent a
lot of time with trying to to use my time
of not being playing on a pitch in a better way,
(10:13):
and I felt like the best way to do that
was was to help those lads, because ultimately I want,
no matter what, I want the team to do well.
I'm a I'll be a Phoenix fan. Now my kids
are Phoenix fans. I want the team to do well,
and I'll be celebrating the goals just like a fan.
So yeah, that's that's the best I can put it
(10:35):
by here.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
On the field. You were from my recollection anyway, the
quickest to one hundred games for the team, in terms
of from the moment you walked in the door until
you walked out for your hundred game, ultra consistent. I
think ninety five of your first one hundred games were
starts and then you look at the numbers and apart
(10:56):
from your goals, the assists are the thing that stands
out most to me the way you linked that play.
And it might not have even been the assist, but
sometimes you talk about the assist the assess and Vinnie
Lea I used to get used to never get steps
in his favor, but he was often the guy who
gave the board of the guy who hit the goal
on how much of your game is about making other
(11:18):
players around you bidder?
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Oh that's If you speak to anyone who played with
me in England, they did say the same thing. You know,
I was always a pretty consistent eight nine goals a
season in the UK and then maybe twelve in assists
have got more system.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
I would goals to a certain extent.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
I feel like that's you know, I think Whenough he
signed me, I think that's what he brought me in
for because he said to me. I remember him saying
to me, don't worry, I'm bringing in number nine with you.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
You know what I mean? And that was hoops.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
So so he knew my game, he knew my versatility
to be able to play across that front. Four in
different systems deeper up the front, and I think that's
why we worked so well together with Wuffy as well.
And the part of my game has always been that
I think every lad who's probably play up front with
(12:06):
me has always scored loads of goals. You look at
Hoop scored double figures, Thomas scored double figures as a
wider scored double figures. Costa only to an extent played
up front with me, And you know, I've always been
a good foil and there's nothing wrong with that. I
get a lot out of bringing people into the game,
connecting the play, looking forward, looking forward to them forward
(12:29):
passes like you said, they'll probably if I if we
did we did the past of the past, I'd probably
be on probably fifty sixty, do you know what I mean?
So I never came as an out and out goal scorer.
I can pretty be honest and say that. And all
my stuff's been from open play as well. You know,
it's not been from set players or anything like that.
It's all been from open play. So you know, I
(12:51):
walk away happy with the fact that, yeah, yeah, you know,
I probably got more. I got more assistant goals, and
that is me as a player, So yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
So what now, what what is next?
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Look, I feel really good, really really fit. Like I said,
I've been working working really hard. I've not I've not
put my foot off the gas. So you know, I'm
a fit player who thinks that there's you know, I'm
an asset to someone at this moment in time to
the end of the season or whatever that may be.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
So I'm gonna you know, my wife's been through.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
A lot, We've been through a lot at the moment
with with a family member who's who's not been well
back in the UK, so we've we might look to
to go home to to see him.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
So you know, this process has been.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
It's been a tough, tough decision and one that's not
been made lightly at all.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
But ultimately I think it's the best for both parties.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
And you know, it's just it's just it's you know,
I'm very sad, just a sad, sad time and sad
sad day to two.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
To end like this.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
You know, everyone will say they have different in visions
of where you finish your time at the club, and
you know, I wish that I was walking out with
my boys on the last day and way of giving
a way to everyone. But you know, football is a
football is a different injuries industry. Things changed very quickly
and and I think that's this is one of them,
one of them situations.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
And just to financial I asked you this question at
the Proofs conference, but I'll ask it again. How would
you like to be remembered by Wellington Phoenix fans?
Speaker 3 (14:28):
Oh energetic, good person, someone who always who always stayed
behind to sign an autograph, have a minute with people,
someone who left the club and in a better way
(14:48):
in someone that they enjoyed watching and being part of
their football club. Because there's been so many good people
I've met in this country and met this football club, volunteers,
staff players. I just want to be remembered as a
good football and a good on a good person.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
I've been watching this team since two thousand and seven.
I've seen a lot of games and a lot of
Phoenix footballers and your legacy is as well and truly
secure balling. Congratulations on a tremendous career at this football club.
Thank you for all the joy that you gave to
fans over the last five and a half years. Wish
you and the family all the best for whatever the
future might hold.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Thanks by Thanks mate.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk Said Be weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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