AUCKLAND � All Whites coach Ricki Herbert has included six uncapped players in an extended New Zealand squad of 30 players which he will trim to 22 next week for a two match tour of China and Japan later this month.
The All Whites take on newly crowned Asian Champions Japan in Tokyo on March 29 four days after playing China in a game which has been moved from Nanning to Wuhan.
Included in the squad are former New Zealand age-group players and new Major League Soccer recruits Jake Gleeson and Michael Boxall, with the former almost certain to make the final 22 named on Tuesday given the injury that currently sidelines Mark Paston.
Two current New Zealand U-20 squad members � Wellington Phoenix sensation Marco Rojas and Birmingham City�s Luke Rowe � have been included and Herbert may use the opportunity a tour to Asia provides to cast his eye over J-League fullback Michael Fitzgerald.
Craig Henderson gets a second chance to start his All Whites career after a serious knee injury put a swift end to the Sweden-based midfielder�s first call up last March.
Meanwhile, Kosta Barbarouses � who narrowly missed the final squad for South Africa � is back in the mix after a stellar season leading the Brisbane Roar attack with 11 A-League goals while Kris Bright, who recently signed with Budapest Honved, is the only other player included that didn�t travel to the 2010 World Cup.
The squad represents the starting point for Herbert to build a team to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, a mission which starts in earnest with six qualifiers in 2012.
�It�s exciting times,� said Al Whites coach Ricki Herbert
�We were able to look beyond the last World Cup when we selected that squad so now we have a pretty solid core of players to begin with and ones that served their country very well.
�But just as we did back in 2005 when we started the last journey we will begin to look for other players who can help take us to a World Cup. It�s about bringing players into the mix and seeing how they respond to the challenges of international football and how well they fit into the team culture.�
The extended list of 30 names will have at least five more U-23 players added to it as Herbert moves to increase the linkages between the All Whites and the Olympic (U-23) team which are due to play their qualifiers in Fiji early next year.
Herbert will help appoint, and work closely alongside, the New Zealand U-23 coach while there is likely to be greater cross over between the management staff of both groups to improve continuity.
�The Olympics are a prestigious event and it�s important that we qualify for it and do well. It also has flow on benefits for our Brazil 2014 campaign,� Herbert said.
�We�ll have the likes of Tommy Smith, Chris Wood, Kosta Barbarouses and three over-age players all eligible for London, and there�ll be some players pushing for inclusion in the All Whites as we get further down the World Cup cycle. It makes sense to have greater crossover between the two environments in terms of players and staff.�
