Coach Darren Bazeley. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today
Darren Bazeley will be the most scrutinised man in New Zealand football over the next few weeks.
The upcoming Under-20 World Cup is the biggest football event this country is ever likely to host and, as Junior All Whites coach, Bazeley is at the helm.
It's a different experience. New Zealand age-group teams usually play Fifa tournaments in unfriendly time zones, in front of polite but ambivalent local fans and with no travelling media.
This time, there will be a glare like never before. The advantage of home soil also brings a responsibility to perform, to make the most of a rare opportunity and Bazeley is in the hot seat.
New Zealand's first game is against Ukraine on May 30, followed by the United States (June 2) and Myanmar (June 5).
It's been a remarkable journey for the 42-year-old Bazeley. He enjoyed a long professional career in England, accumulating more than 450 games for Watford, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Walsall. He played under some famous names, including Graham Taylor ("a great coach, great motivator"), Glenn Roeder, Steve Perryman and Paul Merson.
Bazeley was encouraged Down Under by former Walsall team-mate Danny Hay and spent two years at the ill-fated New Zealand Knights, captaining the team in their second and final season. But unlike many of that foreign legion, he stayed on.
"It was always our intention to stay," he said. "We completely emigrated at the time. The family have not been back and we are citizens now."
Bazeley has diligently built his coaching experience, from roles at regional federations, an assistant's job at Waitakere United and various roles with national age-group teams.
It's a fairly solid CV, but his efforts as head coach at the 2013 Fifa Under-17 World Cup (where his team lost all three games, conceded 11 goals and failed to score) left a black mark.
It was a highly disappointing campaign, especially considering the 2011 and 2009 under-17 teams (when Bazeley was assistant coach) reached the knockout stages.
His background is also mainly as an assistant.
So does he have what it takes?
"I had a 20-year professional football career as a player, I've been coaching for the last nine years and this will be my fourth [age-group] World Cup," Bazeley said. "I'd like to think I have a lot of experience."
Bazeley also has the invaluable lessons of the last two years, by his own admission "the best preparation a New Zealand team will ever have".
There was the unique Wanderers programme that saw the under-20s squad playing in the ASB Premiership and they have also played scores of international matches, including before 20,000 people in Uzbekistan. He has also completed his Uefa A licence.
"All the training and working has helped me improve," he said. "The alignment Anthony Hudson has also put in place has helped me develop. As a coach, you always need more. I'd love to have more experience but I've done what I have been able to do here."
Bazeley is under few illusions. He knows there is a need - and a growing expectation - for his team to reach the knockout stages at the World Cup. Sure, it hasn't been done before in three attempts but a Junior All Whites team has never played at home nor had the luxury of such an extensive build-up.
"I have been blessed with great opportunities and surrounded by great people," he said.
"I am determined to work tirelessly to repay that and make New Zealand proud of this team. If we do well, better things will come for me and the team. If we don't, those opportunities might slow down or stop ... but that's football."