Ivan Vicelich

Club career

Vicelich played for Waitakere City FC and Central United in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Premier before establishing himself as one of the best players for the Football Kingz, when the Auckland-based club joined the Australian National Soccer League in 1999.

Thanks to the contacts he made through his Football Kingz colleague, John Lammers, he was able to impress Roda JC Kerkrade, with whom he signed in 2001. He was a regular player for the Dutch team until May 2006 when he signed a 2-year contract with fellow Eredivisie club side, RKC Waalwijk.

He returned to New Zealand and signed with Auckland City FC in the New Zealand Football Championship before the start of the 2008–09 season and was a key member of the Auckland squad that contested the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in 2009.

In July 2010, following the 2010 FIFA World Cup in which Vicelich started every one of New Zealand's three games, he signed a short-term deal to play for Chinese Super League club Shenzhen Ruby F.C. for four months. He returned to former club Auckland City FC in December 2010, following a 30-day stand-down period. Aged 38, he received the adidas Bronze Ball as the third best player at the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco – at which Auckland finished in a surprise third place – bettered only by Real Madrid duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos.

He played his last game for Auckland City FC in the 2015 final which they won against Team Wellington on penalty kicks, qualifying for a record 6 consecutive times to the FIFA Club World Cup

Vicelich is now the Assistant Coach at Auckland City FC

International career

Vicelich made his full New Zealand debut with a substitute appearance in a 0–7 loss against Uruguay on 25 June 1995

He was included in the New Zealand side for the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup finals tournament in Mexico where he featured in all three group games, and again for the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup finals tournament in France, playing in just 2 matches.

On 16 August 2008 Vicelich announced his retirement from international football, however on 22 May 2009 he answered an SOS by All Whites head coach Ricki Herbert and was recalled to the national team for the 2009 Confederations Cup tournament in South Africa, as a replacement for injured captain Ryan Nelsen. Where New Zealand would go onto earn there first ever Senior Mens International point at a FIFA tournament after a 0-0 draw with Iran.

Vicelich continued to make himself available for selection for the crucial 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Bahrain as New Zealand vied for the right to join football's most prestigious tournament for the second time in their history.

Vicelich has played 96 times for the All Whites including a record 88 official full internationals in which he scored 7 goals, his appearance in the first leg against Bahrain equalling Vaughan Coveny's then record of 64 official international caps. He went one better in the second leg in Wellington as he helped his country reach the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

On 10 May 2010, Vicelich was named in New Zealand's final 23-man squad to compete at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He went on to play in New Zealand's three games there.

On 25 March 2011 Vicelich captained New Zealand in their 1–1 draw with China in Wuhan. He would retire from International Football in 2013 after the qualifying process for the 2014 Fifa World Cup was unsuccessful, his official last game was against Mexico at the Azteca Stadium.

Personal life

Vicelich is of Croatian descent. A former student at Rutherford College, he graduated in 1994.

Club

With Waitakere City

With Central United

With Auckland City FC

International

OFC Nations Cup

Individual

Halberg Awards

International goals and caps

New Zealand's goal tally first.