Soccer: Upbeat CEO prepared to tackle to-do list

New Zealand Football CEO Andy Martin is in the job for the long haul.

Recently appointed New Zealand Football CEO Andy Martin is confident he is in it for the long haul, despite the revolving door in recent years.

Martin is NZF's fourth CEO since 2008. Grant McKavanagh lasted just over two years before he resigned, somewhat surprisingly, just months before the World Cup qualifying matches last November. Before him Michael Glading, who helped to achieve World Cup qualification and also steady an extremely shaky financial ship, announced his resignation after two years in the role, in December 2011. Glading had replaced Graham Seatter, who stepped away from the job in March 2008 after three years.

"They need some stability, don't they?" Martin told the Herald on Sunday. "There is a long-term job here - there is no doubt about it - this isn't going to happen overnight."

Martin, who had a four-year stint as CEO of English Premiership rugby club London Irish after a long banking career, seems unworried by the changing office nameplates at NZF headquarters.

"The past record doesn't bother me, to be honest," says Martin. "I think I had the same situation with rugby. There had been a lot of churners - people were getting to grips with what professional rugby meant and you go through rugby-connected people and business-connected people. I hope to be here for a while - I'm looking forward to making New Zealand home and giving it a good shot."

A lifelong Liverpool fan ("You never forget the experience of standing on the Kop as a teenager with a tear in your eye; my mother used to say it was the only thing that got me emotional") Martin spent 25 years at Barclays Bank before taking over London Irish in 2009.

He is realistic about the status of football here but has high hopes for the future: "In the UK, rugby was playing second fiddle to football and it is a bit similar with football and rugby here," says Martin. "Football has had a big shadow and part of my job is to get out of that shadow, as much as we can.

"The job is about making sure you make the right calls at the right time, making sure you can inspire people to want to play football and stick with it and ultimately you want the best athletes staying within football.

"I sense at the moment that isn't always the case."

Martin, who topped a field of 179 applicants, will have a large 'to do' list when he officially starts in February. The review into the failed All Whites' World Cup campaign will be completed and in need of thorough dissection as well as the search for a new All Whites coach.

"There is a need to learn about what happened previously and then build your plan and strategy around it.

"What is evident is that there are lots of good things happening in New Zealand football - participation levels are fantastic, the crowd they drew for the Mexico game [in Wellington] shows there is a passion and the Football Ferns are going particularly well".

Despite the often touted financial difficulties, Martin is keen to see the All Whites playing on home soil, against meaningful opposition.

"If you have an audience in the country, you want to put your product on in the country. I'm not aware of the financials to understand the model yet but you start from the point that you want to get the product as close to the supporters as possible."

Martin only has one regret about taking on the role - not being able to witness the current Anfield resurgence first hand, as the Reds are experiencing their best campaign in several years.

"It's a bit ironic that the day I choose to move over here, Liverpool are probably going to win the league - but that's football isn't it?"