Soccer: Ryan sticking with Rovers

Ryan Nelsen. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Ryan Nelsen has said he will stay with Blackburn - even if they drop out of the Premier League tonight - and has also confirmed his desire to lead the All Whites next year in the World Cup qualifiers.

The All Whites captain also responded to the Mahe Drysdale-driven furore over the recent Halberg awards, gave his views on the new World Cup qualification path for the All Whites, offered some advice for Chris Wood in his club versus country dilemma and outlined his plans beyond football.

Speaking from his home in Lancashire, Nelsen said Blackburn has been a town on edge over the last month as supporters have contemplated relegation after a decade in the top flight. Blackburn have finished the season well, only losing twice since the middle of March, but are far from safe.

Rovers (40 points) play fellow relegation contenders Wolves (40) at Molineux early tomorrow morning knowing that a win will guarantee survival. A loss or a draw will send Blackburn down if two of Blackpool (39; v Manchester United [a]), Birmingham (39; v Tottenham [a]) or Wigan (39; vs Stoke [a]) win.

While Rovers remain slight favourites to escape the drop, Nelsen - injured out of the end of the season last month - has seen enough last day cliffhangers to know that anything can happen.

"Obviously we would prefer to be at home but in a way it is better," Nelsen told the Herald on Sunday. "Wolves will be under huge pressure from their fans to go forward and attack and we can just play our own game. I'm confident we can get through it."

Nelsen said his future was certainly at Ewood Park.

"The club have been great to me over the years and I would be loyal to them. If we went down and they want me to stay, I would stay. If they wanted to sell me, then I would go."

Nelsen is contracted until the end of the 2012-2013 season but clubs tend to cut players upon relegation or sell high earners to cope with life in a lesser revenue-raising environment - and he would probably be on that list, given his age and relatively high salary bracket.

"We have been through a lot this year," says Nelsen, who has been out of action since mid-April after a knee operation. "We have new owners, a new manager and a lot of young players thrown into action. It feels like we are finding our DNA again; the signs look good for next season if we can stay up."

Nelsen said the desire to captain the All Whites is still strong and he wants to be involved in the Oceania qualifiers set down for June, September and October next year.

"It's really hard to assess at this stage - there is another season here to get through - but if the body holds together and I can maintain the same standards then I would love to be there.."

Looking further ahead, Nelsen will be in his 37th year when Rio 2014 rolls round. Fellow defenders like Guiseppe Bergomi, Pablo Maldini and Fabio Cannavaro all played on the highest stage at a similar age. There is no guarantee that the All Whites will even be there, but Nelsen is positive about the recent changes to the qualification path, where the Oceania winners will play a representative from either South America, Central and North America or Asia.

"It could have been worse - they could have just given us South American opposition," says Nelsen. "We would back ourselves against a CONCACAF side - it would be possibly easier than an Asian team - and we have already proven ourselves against Asian opposition. "

Almost a year on, people all around Britain still want to talk to Nelsen about those World Cup escapades, especially the surprise draw with Italy. "Over here they know what it meant - how unlikely it was - and that match in particular will always go down as a World Cup shock."

Most were surprised that Nelsen missed out on a Halberg Award for sportsman of the year (Richie McCaw took the honour) but he was unfazed. "The main thing was getting the team award," he says. "I tend to get singled out as captain anyway but what we did in South Africa took a total team effort."

Nelsen was "disappointed but not surprised" at the controversy surrounding the Halberg Awards, as sporting identities like Dick Tayler and Mahe Drysdale questioned why the All Whites were even in the final nominations, given "they had not won anything".

"It is just a matter of understanding the global landscape of sport," says Nelsen. "If countries around the world poured as much resource into rowing as they do into football and it was the national sport in over 100 countries the picture might be very different. That is what he has to understand - Mahe [Drysdale] would find himself competing against 110 other Mahe Drysdales and so coming in 22nd wouldn't be too bad."

"Aside from the sheer number of people playing the sport, the money involved is incredible. Manchester City are about to spend something like £200 million ($409 million) on their new training ground. Most sports in New Zealand would not have spent that much in their entire history."

Next season will be Nelsen's seventh in the Premier League (171 appearances for Blackburn), after four seasons in Major League Soccer in the US. Upon retirement, he admits to being definitely interested in coaching, but would also like to be employed outside the sport.

"I would like to have a go at things in the real world," he laughs. "I've learned over the years that I like to be busy."

Nelsen has several business interests, including a shareholding in UK company Provelop, which specialises in analysing and developing sports mindsets and mental toughness.

No stranger to the club versus country debate, Nelsen has definite views on Chris Wood's upcoming decision to opt for pre season training at West Brom or represent New Zealand at the Under-20 World Cup in Columbia.

"We have to think long term," says Nelsen. "By 2014, if Chris is established at West Brom and playing regularly in the Premier League, that would be fantastic - and of great value to New Zealand football. These chances can vanish quickly. Having said that, I'm sure West Brom will have some understanding and playing in that tournament and being exposed to high pressure situations would probably be beneficial, especially for a young player."

Nelsen has made no plans for a summer holiday - yet. Tomorrow he will see club medical staff, who will give him his rehabilitation programme for June. His recovery is currently on track, and Nelsen expects to be back in full stride for the start of pre season training on July 1.