https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/nz-teams/12...
Of the players who ply their trade outside of Europe, Hay said Sydney FC forward Kosta Barbarouses has put his hand up to travel from Australia, while Phoenix goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic is currently on holiday in Germany and is “very keen” to be involved.
“If we had every player available that’s European-based then we’ve still got some gaps in certain positions, but we have got more players getting over to good European environments which for me is a huge bonus, not just for them but it’s a huge bonus for the All Whites moving forward.”
Without access to players outside of Europe, Hay will feel the pinch most at right-back as recent All Whites Dane Ingham, Louis Fenton, Storm Roux and Tim Payne are all based in either New Zealand or Australia.
Their absence could open the door for a recall for Niko Kirwan. The son of All Blacks legend Sir John Kirwan recently helped Italian club Reggiana gain promotion to Serie B. Kirwan was selected in the All Whites for a friendly against Canada in 2018 but did not feature.
“I’m keeping an open mind about everything,” Hay said. “We’ve got a wider database of players that are playing in Europe and it will just depend on who is available and who is not available.
“We’ve got to see what is occurring in each country, who we can bring in and then obviously try and get that mix right. It’s not just Plan A, B and C, you’re working your way right down the alphabet.”