Soccer: All Whites kids are all right - veteran

Simon Elliott confronts Paraguay in their June World Cup-tie, drawn 0-0. The teams meet again in Wellington tonight. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Veteran All Whites midfielder Simon Elliott is not yet contemplating retirement from international soccer.

But when the time does come, he is confident New Zealand has enough quality midfield prospects to take the team to another World Cup.

The 36-year-old, consistently a top performer for New Zealand during the past 18 months, has been the only player capable of mixing it with some of the high-class midfields the All Whites have faced, despite lacking regular matchplay at club level.

He will be 40 by the time the 2014 World Cup rolls around and, realistically, the former English Premier League player will have ended his career.

But he sees plenty of potential in two young players - Michael McGlinchey and Aaron Clapham - who he feels have bright futures in the All Whites, especially having been to a World Cup.

"When you're at the start of your career and you get to experience a World Cup, it's great. There are not too many more important occasions you'll come across in football," Elliott said yesterday.

"From what I've seen, it's not that individual A can't do it, it's that he hasn't done it before. But these guys have been there and done it now."

McGlinchey and Clapham, both 23, did not feature at the World Cup.

McGlinchey, a former Celtic and Scotland age group player now with Central Coast in the A-League, has played five internationals.

Canterbury playmaker Clapham made his debut in the 89th minute of the 1-1 draw with Honduras on Saturday.

Elliott has been impressed by the pair's ability to run at defenders.

"It's great to see the potential and confidence to do positive things, so I can see great futures for them. For me, getting guys like Claps and Mikey taking people on, getting crosses in, and creating and scoring goals is important."

He was surprised Clapham had not yet picked up an A-League contract.

"Sometimes there's no reason why these things happen. So long as he keeps playing, he'll be fine. I think he's good enough to play more or less where he wants to play."

Without a club since early this year when he was released by US club San Jose, Elliott said he was approaching his international career on a match-by-match basis.

"It's such fun being in this environment and you don't want to give that up, but at the same time you don't want to be selfish and hanging around for no good reason."

He dismisses any thought tonight's match against Paraguay in Wellington could be his last in his home city. "I'm not really in that frame of mind."

- NZPA