Soccer: Rufer hails Nelsen's premiership start

Ryan Nelsen in action. Herald file picture

All Whites great Wynton Rufer says Ryan Nelsen should be New Zealand's sportsman of the year after a "sensational" start to his English premier league soccer career.

Nelsen played an influential role in central defence today (NZ time) as Blackburn Rovers celebrated a 1-0 away win over fourth-placed Everton.

He captained Rovers to FA Cup success last week in only his seventh game for the club and has been hailed by media commentators in Britain as an astute mid-season signing by Blackburn manager Mark Hughes.

Nelsen is the first New Zealander to play regularly in a major soccer league since Rufer's glory days in Germany with Werder Bremen.

Rufer, 42, won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1992, scoring a goal in the final against Arsene Wenger's Monaco.

His soccer feats went almost unacknowledged in New Zealand.

Rufer, the Oceania player of the century, insists Nelsen deserves greater recognition and believes the All Whites skipper is good enough to play for "an even bigger club" such as Arsenal.

"The guy is probably the highest-paid sportsman in New Zealand ... can you tell me another earning more money than he is?"

Premiership players are paid at least $30,000 a week, meaning Nelsen could be earning about $1.5 million a year.

That would put him in a similar bracket to Indy Racing League driver Scott Dixon and namesake David Dixon, another New Zealand sportsman based in the United States who plays in the National Football League for the Minnesota Vikings.

Rufer believes Nelsen should be honoured for playing in one of the best soccer leagues in the world against international stars.

"The Olympics are gone...he should be New Zealand sportsman of the year," Rufer said.

"He's done what millions of players strive to do by playing in the English premiership. I don't think people here really appreciate that."

Rufer said he meant "no offence" to other New Zealand sports stars.

"But they are competing with about 1000 athletes at the highest level. Ryan is competing against a million at the highest level, and he's in there at the top."

Rufer said Nelsen would not be playing "for the money" but "for the love of the game", and he would be earning "double or triple what any All Black is getting".

If he went to a major premiership club he would "be able to buy half of Christchurch".

Rufer will visit Europe soon as a member of Fifa's elite ex-player committee. He hopes to see Nelsen play against Liverpool at Anfield on March 16.

He said Nelsen's success did not surprise him.

"He was one of the top players in the United States. I know a few football people over there and they were spewing when he left. But he was just too good (for the US)."

Some US Major League Soccer players had struggled to make the transition to the top leagues in Europe, but Nelsen had had no difficulty, Rufer said.

"He's too good for Blackburn, but one step at a time.

"The world's his oyster. The big clubs over there are smart...they should look at him.

- NZPA