Ivan Vicelich
Vicelich in 2015
Personal information
Full name Ivan Robert Vicelich
Date of birth (1976-09-03) 3 September 1976 (age 45)
Place of birth Auckland, New Zealand
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Centre back, Defensive midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993–1995 Waitakere City 64 (4)
1996–1999 Central United 100 (18)
1999–2001 Football Kingz 46 (6)
2001–2006 Roda JC 129 (14)
2006–2008 RKC Waalwijk 21 (0)
2008–2010 Auckland City 49 (9)
2010 Shenzhen Ruby 15 (0)
2010–2016 Auckland City 119 (10)
Total 543 (61)
National team‡
New Zealand U-17
New Zealand U-20
New Zealand U-23
1995–2013 New Zealand 88 (6)
Teams managed
2016– Auckland City (assistant)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18 JNovember 2018 NZST
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 9 September 2013

Ivan Robert Vicelich MNZM (/ˈvɪsəlɪtʃ/ VISS-ə-litch;[1] born 3 September 1976) is a former New Zealand professional footballer who is currently assistant coach at Auckland City FC in the ASB Premiership.

He is his country and Oceania's most-capped international of all time with 88 caps between 1995 and 2013, and featured at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

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,[citation needed] 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.[2]

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.[3] 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.[4]

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,[5] and again for the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup finals tournament in France, playing in just 2 matches.[6]

On 16 August 2008 Vicelich announced his retirement from international football,[7] 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.[8][9] Where New Zealand would go on to earn their first ever Senior Men's International point at a FIFA tournament after a 0–0 draw with Iraq.n.

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.[10]

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.[11][12] 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.[13] 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.

Broadcasting Career

From 2021, he became the analyst with fellow former New Zealand goalkeeper, Jacob Spoonley, for Sky Sports as New Zealand build up to 2022 World Cup Qualification.[14]

Personal life

Vicelich is of Croatian descent[15] and a former student at Liston College and Rutherford College, he graduated in 1994.

Honours

Club

With Waitakere City

With Central United

With Auckland City FC

International

OFC Nations Cup

Individual

Halberg Awards

Career statistics

Club

All-time club performances
Club Season NSL - - - Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Football Kingz
(NSL) 		1999–00 34 3 34 3
2000–01 12 3 12 3
Club Total 46 6 46 6
Club Season Eredivisie KNVB Cup Super Cup Europe Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Roda JC
(Eredivisie) 		2000–01 1 0 1 0
2001–02 12 2 1 0 13 2
2002–03 28 3 3 0 31 3
2003–04 33 6 2 1 35 7
2004–05 28 1 2 0 2 0 32 1
2005–06 27 2 4 1 3 0 34 3
Club Total 129 14 14 2 6 0 149 16
Club Season Eredivisie KNVB Cup Super Cup Europe Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
RKC Waalwijk
(Eredivisie) 		2006–07 19 0 3 0 22 0
2007–08 2 0 2 0
Club Total 21 0 3 0 24 0
Club Season NZFC Chatham Cup Club World Cup Oceania Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Auckland City
(NZFC) 		2008–09 17 4 8 2 25 6
2009–10 16 2 3 0 5 1 24 3
Club Total 33 6 3 0 13 3 49 9
Club Season CSL Chinese FA Cup - AFC Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Shenzhen Ruby F.C.
(CSL) 		2010 14 0 14 0
-
Club Total 14 0 14 0
Club Season NZFC Chatham Cup Club World Cup Oceania Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Auckland City
(NZFC) 		2010–11 10 0 5 1 15 1
2011–12 20 1 1 0 7 1 28 2
2012–13 22 1 1 0 6 1 28 2
2013–14 12 1 1 0 7 1 20 2
2014–15 18 3 4 0 6 0 28 3
Club Total 82 6 7 0 26 4 119 10
Career totals
Last updated 18 April 2010

International goals and caps

New Zealand's goal tally first.[21]

International career statistics

[25]

New Zealand national team
Year Apps Goals
1995 1 0
1996 0 0
1997 7 0
1998 4 0
1999 11 1
2000 5 0
2001 5 1
2002 6 3
2003 4 0
2004 4 0
2005 0 0
2006 4 0
2007 5 1
2008 0 0
2009 9 0
2010 6 0
2011 2 0
2012 11 0
2013 3 0
Total 88 6

See also

References

  1. ^ "Auckland City FC – Player Profile – Ivan Vicelich". Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  2. ^ FIFA.com. "FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2017 – Clubs – FIFA.com". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 15 December 2009.
  3. ^ Brown, Michael (18 July 2010). "Vicelich on fast boat to China". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
  4. ^ "Ramos outshines the rest". FIFA. 20 December 2014. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  5. ^ "Federations Cup Mexico 1999 – New Zealand squad". FIFA. Archived from the original on 5 November 2007. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  6. ^ "Federations Cup France 2003 – New Zealand squad". FIFA. Archived from the original on 4 December 2007. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  7. ^ "Soccer: Vicelich calls time on international career". The New Zealand Herald. 16 August 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2008.
  8. ^ "Vicelich answers All Whites SOS". NZ Football. 22 May 2009.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ "2009 Confederations Cup – New Zealand squad". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 13 June 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2009.
  10. ^ "Stage set for crucial qualifier". NZ Football. 10 October 2009.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ "A-International Appearances – Overall". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Archived from the original on 1 May 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2008.
  12. ^ "A-International Scorers – Overall". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Archived from the original on 16 June 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2008.
  13. ^ "All Whites World Cup squad named". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  14. ^ New Zealand v The Gambia | Live Game, retrieved 17 November 2021
  15. ^ "All Whites | Ivan Vicelich". Onsport.co.nz. 30 September 1976. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  16. ^ "New Year honours list 2015". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  17. ^ "Honours List". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 25 July 2008.
  18. ^ Landrigan, John. "Big year for Vicelich and football". The Aucklander. Retrieved 17 December 2010.
  19. ^ "Ivan Vicelich honoured by FoF". Friends of Football. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  20. ^ "IFFHS MAN TEAM – OFC – OF THE DECADE 2011-2020". IFFHS. 31 January 2021.
  21. ^ "Ivan Robert Vicelich – International Appearances". www.rsssf.com.
  22. ^ a b c d as 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
  23. ^ a b c as 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
  24. ^ a b as 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
  25. ^ Ivan Vicelich at National-Football-Teams.com

External links

Auckland City FC – current squad
Oceania Footballer of the Year
New Zealand squads
Chatham Cup Jack Batty Memorial Cup
Categories