Hockey: Key Black Sticks defender calls it quits

Dion Gosling (left) has 169 caps for New Zealand and has played 150 games for Auckland over the past 15 years. Picture / Hawkes Bay Today

Dion Gosling's decision to call it quits has robbed the New Zealand men's team of a key defender on the eve of their Oceania Cup/World qualifiers in Fiji.

Gosling, 34, yesterday announced his decision to retire from international and provincial play after more than 150 games for Auckland and New Zealand.

Only Simon Towns and Umesh Parag (who have 214 caps) and Darren Smith (195) have played more times for the national side.

In 2002 Gosling was named New Zealand player of the year.

"You never know when the time is right [to retire]," said Gosling. "I probably started thinking about it after the Olympics last year. In the last few months I have thought about it even more and towards the final stages of the national league I knew it was time.

"I have been trying to finish my [architectural] degree which I started in 1995. If I had gone to Fiji I would then have thought about the Commonwealth Games, the World Cup qualifiers and then maybe the World Cup.

"That would have meant putting my degree on the backburner and not finishing it until 2007.

"If you are going to play for New Zealand you have to give 100 per cent," said Gosling. "There's a new bunch of young guys coming through and they deserve their chance.

"I made myself unavailable for Azlan Shah and the European tour to give [coach] Kevin Towns the chance to work with and look at other players."

Gosling said he rated the Manchester Commonwealth Games silver medal and the sixth placing in Athens last year as the highlights of his career.

Gosling, a former St Kentigern College pupil who made his representative debut in the North Shore Hatch Cup [intermediate school-age] team, started his senior career with the University club in 1990, debuting for Auckland the same year.

Towns said Gosling's ability and determination would be sorely missed.

"Dion has always been an outstanding athlete," said Towns. "He never gave in even in those early days when he did not always have the finer skills. He now reads a game very well.

"He will be a huge loss, on and off the field. He has always been heavily involved in the team dynamics.

"The 2002 World Cup was his best tournament individually. He has had to nurse his body over the years but has always bounced back to play a key role in our defence over a long period."

Hockey New Zealand chief executive Ramesh Patel said Gosling's retirement would be a "very big loss" to the Black Sticks.

"Dion developed into a stalwart of our defence," said Patel. "I remember way back to his days in the Auckland development squad when he showed amazing speed.

"He does not owe New Zealand hockey anything. We are indebted to him and the part he has played in our game."

Dion Gosling

* Fullback
* 1990 Auckland debut
* 150 games for Auckland
* 1994 NZ debut against Holland in Amsterdam
* 169 games for NZ
* Last game against Malaysia this year.