All Whites juggle club and country games

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HE'LL SHOW: CEO Michael Glading remains bullish New Zealand Football will also have All Whites team-mate Winston Reid in action next month.

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Now Ryan Nelsen has confirmed he will play Honduras and Paraguay, Michael Glading remains bullish New Zealand Football will also have All Whites team-mate Winston Reid in action next month.

Blackburn Rovers defender Nelsen yesterday stated he would definitely play against Honduras in Auckland on October 9 and Paraguay in Wellington three days later, but continued to insist no pressure should be placed on West Ham United's centreback Reid to also represent his country.

Yet NZF chief executive Glading, who said he was always confident captain Nelsen would be available, stated he was confident Reid would also fly to New Zealand for the two matches.

"Absolutely, Winston has been cleared by his club and is coming," Glading said. "It has been more speculation than facts, and the facts are he has been cleared by his club and he is keen to come. Again, that is exactly as we expected it to be played out."

However, Nelsen reiterated that Reid should not feel any pressure into leaving his English Premier League club, having noted he had spoken to his All Whites team-mate recently.

Nelsen urged Reid to be selfish and believed there needed to be understanding in New Zealand that if he chose to stay with West Ham and continue to fight for a place in the top team in the world's toughest league he should not be criticised.

"I think Winston might come back, I hope he does. I would love him to come back and if he doesn't I hope we back him and don't criticise him," Nelsen told Radio Live.

Glading added that communication between Reid and All Whites coach Ricki Herbert indicated he would return home: "I know Ricki has talked to him and that would be the normal course of action. And if there was any doubt ... There wasn't. Ricki has talked to him and he is coming."

Nelsen said he was "always" going to come back and play for the All Whites. "You've just got to play a bit of a political game with the club, but that's sorted and it's all good."

Glading added he was never concerned Nelsen would not play during the Fifa window set aside for these matches, despite speculation to the contrary.

"Had there been a likely problem, I think we would have heard earlier on.

"I felt it was under control if you like. It is always good that Ryan has confirmed it but until we heard anything to the contrary we were confident that would be the case."

Meanwhile, like many New Zealanders living overseas, former Cantabrian Nelsen said he had been closely following the news after the earthquake in the region.

His parents were unharmed and his property in Sumner was not damaged.

- © Fairfax NZ News