article re Smeltz

WHEN Ricki Herbert saw Shane Smeltz score a double for the All Whites against Wales in Wrexham six months ago, he knew he had to entice him back to New Zealand to lead Wellington's strike force in the A-League.

Fortunately for Herbert, who wears two hats as New Zealand national coach and Phoenix boss, life at Halifax was not going smoothly for Smeltz.

He'd scored a swag of goals in Conference football with AFC Wimbledon, which got him a contract with Halifax.

"But you have those ups and downs as a footballer and things were just not working out for me with the move," Smeltz said. The fact that the New Zealand Knights had performed so poorly in the first two years of the A-League didn't deter him from taking up Herbert's offer.

"I knew the New Zealand set-up," he said, having represented the country at under- 20, under-23 and senior level.

"I knew exactly what I was coming into.

"Having played for Ricki in the national team made the decision much easier and I knew that the owner was ambitious."

When Smeltz can finish ahead of players such as Blackburn defender Ryan Nelsen and Celtic striker Chris Killen and be voted New Zealand Footballer of the Year, then things are certainly looking up for a player who spent a lot of his younger days growing up on the Gold Coast.

The son of an American father and English mother, Smeltz was born in Germany. His parents moved to New Zealand when he was one year-old.

He first came to prominence with Brisbane Strikers in the old national league seven years ago and had spells at Adelaide City and United before he headed to England (joining Mansfield Town) when the NSL folded.

"I had 2 � years in England and it was an experience when I look back," he said.

"You have good and bad times but it was certainly character-building."

Under Herbert's guidance and with Smeltz scoring goals, Phoenix have not been the easybeats that the NZ Knights were.

"I have been happy with my season and I'd go as far to say it's probably the best I've played," he said.

"I feel I have reached consistency in my game now.

"I think we've surprised a lot of people this season. More importantly for New Zealand soccer, we've got a good base for the club to work on and we are respected."