All Whites head coach Darren Bazeley has called up two new England-based players in his latest squad, including one at a Premier League club.
Bazeley’s team sees Fulham FC’s 19-year-old midfielder Matthew Dibley-Dias and Reading FC’s 18-year-old defender Tyler Bindon named for the first time.
Both are exciting talents. Dibley-Dias was born in New Zealand but is also eligible for Brazil, Portugal and England. He is on the verge of breaking into Fulham’s first team and has been pursued by Bazeley and New Zealand Football for a long time. The call up doesn’t mean he is declaring his allegiance to this country but it is a step in the right direction.
Bindon is the son of former Football Ferns goalkeeper Jenny Bindon. He has already represented the United States at youth level. The teenager has made four first team appearances for Reading in League One, the third tier of English football.
The pair are joined by Joe Champness, Niko Kirwan, James McGarry, Sarpreet Singh, Chris Wood and Michael Woud who all return after not being part of the squad for the June international window.
Singh’s inclusion is particularly noteworthy, as the creative playmaker hasn’t been in the mix since January 2022 due to a lingering groin injury.
For this international window, Bazeley has elected to not call on any A-League Men players due to the competition being in preseason and due to start shortly after the fixtures.
Midfielder and vice captain Joe Bell is unavailable this window for personal reasons after recently moving to a new club and country in Europe.
“It is great to announce the squad for these games and bring in some new and returning players for the window” said Bazeley. “Matt and Tyler are two exciting young players who we have been following the development of closely, so I’m really pleased to be able to bring them into the squad for the first time and give them a taste of senior international football.
“It is also great to have players like James McGarry, Joe Champness, Michael Woud, Niko Kirwan and Sarpreet Singh back in the squad, especially with Niko and Sarpreet coming back from long-term injuries. It speaks to the strength of Kiwi talent around the world that we are able to name a really strong squad even when we don’t call up our A-League Men players. It is great to see how much young Kiwi talent there is pushing for All Whites selection.”
