Football: Newdick has sights on Sydney

Rotorua's Zac Newdick is off to Australia to represent the country in football.

Local footballer Zac Newdick is looking forward to getting a taste of international football when he runs out for the New Zealand Secondary Schools team in Australia.

Newdick, 17, is part of an 18-man team heading to Sydney in July to represent the country at under-19 level.

"It is a huge honour to represent your country. I'm looking forward to it," he said. "We are going to Sydney in July and I think we play some A-League youth teams and the Australian secondary schools team."

Newdick grew up playing football in Rotorua before moving to St Paul's Collegiate in Hamilton on a football scholarship last year.

He said it was the first time he had been named in a national team and he would love to make a career out of the sport in the future.

"That is the goal. I'm looking at going to the US next year on a scholarship because we have [former All White] Mike Groom at the school and he has good contacts over there."

Newdick currently plays as a holding midfielder and has played in the middle of the park since he was a young boy representing Otonga Primary School.

"Ever since I was 8 I was a midfielder," he said. "I guess you get the ball a lot and control the game a bit more in the midfield which I like."

When asked if he considered himself a tough tackler like famous holding midfielders Javier Mascherano or Nemanja Matic, he said not quite. "I'm more of a Xavi, I'm more of a passer."

Newdick said it would be exciting playing against A-League youth teams in July, and he would love to get a crack in the A-League in the future if the opportunity was there.

"The A-League is a good league now, it is definitely a competitive league whereas it was probably not as good in the past."

Newdick is training with the Hamilton Wanderers first team, during their pre-season this year. Wanderers play in the Northern Premier League competition.