Ryan Thomas, relaxing in Te Puke after the year of his life. Photo/Peter White
Ryan Thomas, relaxing in Te Puke after the year of his life. Photo/Peter White
Rural Te Puke is about as far removed from the adulation of scoring two goals to win the Dutch Cup final in front of 50,000 screaming fans, but it is the perfect place for Ryan Thomas to chill out.
The 19-year-old left wing is back home after a scarcely believablenine months during which he has gone from playing for Waikato FC to a starring role with Dutch premier club PEC Zwolle and full international caps for the All Whites.
Thomas can hardly believe what has happened to him but he is determined to make the most of his opportunity. No wild parties or tabloid headlines for him.
He stayed with a foster family in Zwolle, a picturesque city of 125,000, and is living the dream he and fellow All White Tyler Boyd had when they first played football together as skinny 12-year-olds in the Western Bay rep team.
They had two years at Tauranga Boys' College, travelling to Hamilton several times a week along with a rising star of Italian club Vicenza, Jesse Edge, to play and be part of Declan Edge's academy, before they all finished their schooling in Hamilton.
Thomas says he has so much to thank former All White Edge for; not just for opening up the doors to a trial at PEC Zwolle, but opening up his house to stay for his three years at St John's College in Hamilton.
"After the Under-20 World Cup in Turkey [2013] Declan got hold of [Zwolle academy coach] Rini Coolen and emailed him a few times, but he said, 'No we can't look at players in New Zealand'," said Thomas. "But Declan kept at him and he said, 'Okay, he has a 10-day trial to impress'. I went over and have stayed ever since."
Thomas played 19 games last season for PEC Zwolle and scored two goals - both now legendary with supporters as they helped bring down mighty AFC Ajax in the 5-1 victory in this year's Dutch (KNVB) Cup final.
He says the noise from the supporters that unforgettable afternoon in April was a shock, in a game halted for half an hour after fans pelted the pitch with flares after Ajax scored the opening goal.
"On the pitch I could not hear a thing," Thomas said. "If I was talking to someone next to me, I had to shout at him. If someone was telling you to turn, you can't hear them. You have to definitely play on instinct and your head has to be on a swivel, knowing what is around you.
"It is a big difference and makes it a lot harder to play, but it was a good experience to have the fans so loud and good for me to learn like that."
