Soccer: Fleming offers All Whites advice

Former NZ cricket captain Stephen Fleming. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Long-serving New Zealand cricket captain Stephen Fleming has offered the All Whites some words of wisdom ahead of their must-win World Cup soccer playoff.

The team play Bahrain in Wellington on Saturday with the prospect of going through to the World Cup finals for the first time in 27 years.

New Zealand need to win to progress to the finals.

Fleming played 111 test matches and 279 one-day internationals for New Zealand from 1993 to 2008.

Speaking after a training session yesterday, midfielder Michael McGlinchey said Fleming had spoken to the team on Tuesday night.

"Obviously he's been through the same sort of situation ," McGlinchey said.

"He just gave us wee things to make us try and relax, and told us to just try and think of it as another game, get on with the job.

"Ryan Nelsen and the more experienced guys pitched in with their thoughts as well and it was nice to hear what sorts of things they have to say."

McGlinchey, 22, represented Scotland at age level, but transferred his allegiance to New Zealand when FIFA relaxed its eligibility rules.

He made his debut for the All Whites in September.

- NZPA