Star midfielder Ryan Thomas returns to All Whites for first time since 2019 in World Cup boost

Tuesday, 19 August 2025

Ryan Thomas has been named in an All Whites squad for the first time in almost six years.

He is one of six new players in the squad for next month’s Soccer Ashes friendlies against Australia’s Socceroos.

The All Whites play the Socceroos in Canberra on September 5 and Auckland on September 9.

Darren Bazeley was happy to wait another month for Ryan Thomas to make his long-awaited return to the All Whites after almost six years away.

But there was a big reason why the 30-year-old midfielder wanted to be involved in the first international window of the 2025-26 season, instead of waiting for the second.

Speaking after revealing his 23-man squad for September on Tuesday, Bazeley said the nature of their two matches that month had been the driving force behind Thomas’ ahead-of-schedule comeback.

“He was like, man, I've never played against Australia, and I really want to play against them, so yeah, he’s in, which is great.”

The All Whites and Australia’s Socceroos will contest the Soccer Ashes across two matches, on September 5 in Canberra and September 9 in Auckland.

The return of a player who will be second only to English Premier League striker Chris Wood in the All Whites’ ranks is a massive boost nine months out from next year’s FIFA World Cup.

Thomas last played for New Zealand against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin in November 2019, where he was arguably the best player on the pitch from either side, but has had a torrid time with injuries since then.

During the periods where he has been fit in the last six years, getting consistent minutes under his belt at club level has been his first priority.

From November 2019 to March this year, Thomas played in just 62 of a possible 183 Eredivise matches for Dutch clubs PSV Eindhoven and PEC Zwolle.

But since making his first start in 15 months on March 9 – two weeks before the All Whites booked their World Cup spot – he has now started 11 of PEC Zwolle’s last 12 matches.

Once he began stringing starts together at the end of last season, it was increasingly a case of when, not if, Thomas would return to the All Whites fold, and that moment has now arrived one window earlier than initially anticipated by the coach, who was wary of the travel required from Europe in September.

Bazeley considers Thomas to be in the same mould as Marko Stamenić, capable of playing in the double pivot at the base of midfield and further forward in a No 10 role.

“It's like a new signing, almost, which we don't get, obviously, because we're not a club team.

“Having somebody of the calibre and quality of Ryan coming back into the team is great.”

If Thomas plays in the first match against the Socceroos, it will be his first All Whites cap after 38 matches away.

If he plays in the second, it will be his first appearance on New Zealand soil since the home leg of the World Cup qualifying playoff against Peru in Wellington in November 2017.

Bazeley's squad for the Soccer Ashes features a total of six changes from the squad that beat Ivory Coast 1-0 and lost to Ukraine 2-1 in Toronto in June.

Fresh from signing for Auckland FC as a solution to their goalkeeping injury woes, Oli Sail returns as the third goalkeeper in place of Nik Tzanev.

First-choice right back Tim Payne is back after being on baby watch while Bill Tuiloma drops out after suffering a hamstring strain two weekends ago, though Bazeley indicated he was on track to be fit and incumbent Callan Elliot was prefered.

With only three centre backs named, Payne will provide cover in that position as well.

James McGarry joins Liberato Cacace and Francis de Vries in the left back ranks, in a sign de Vries could be used further forward, as he was to good effect late in the loss to Ukraine. McGarry's only All Whites cap to date came against Lithuania in November 2019, three days after Thomas' last appearance.

Centre back Nando Pijnaker is out with an ankle injury that required surfery, while Tommy Smith hasn't been included after returning to England and signing with fifth-tier club Braintree Town. Bazeley had indicated he didn't see that as a barrier to picking the veteran, who last took the field for the All Whites last September, nine matches ago, but he has gone without his experience and leadership this time around.

Matt Garbett has been left out while he finds his feet at his new English League One club Peterborough United, while Ben Waine is in the same position at Port Vale in the same competition. Tzanev also plays in League One, which doesn't break for international windows.

With Garbett and Waine absent, Jesse Randall and Logan Rogerson return as forward options after missing out in June. Randall has scored in both of Auckland FC’s Australia Cup matches to date, while Rogerson scored in the first.

The All Whites have lost their last seven matches against the Socceroos and have gone 434 minutes without even scoring against them, since Chris Killen's opener in what was ultimately a 2-1 loss at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in May 2010, on the eve of that year's World Cup.

New Zealand's last win in the trans-Tasman rivalry was at Go Media Stadium – the venue for next month's second match – in July 2002, when a Ryan Nelsen goal decided the Oceania Nations Cup final and sent the All Whites to the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup in France.

They will play for the Soccer Ashes trophy – created from the remains of cigars smoked by the captains of the two teams the first time Australia and New Zealand met back in 1922 – across both matches, with a penalty shootout to be used to find a winner if they are level on aggregate at fulltime in Auckland.

All Whites – Soccer Ashes

Squad

Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe, Alex Paulsen, Oli Sail

Defenders: Callan Elliot, Tim Payne, Tyler Bindon, Michael Boxall, Finn Surman, Liberato Cacace, Francis de Vries, James McGarry

Midfielders: Joe Bell, Elijah Just, Ben Old, Alex Rufer, Sarpreet Singh, Marko Stamenić, Ryan Thomas

Forwards: Kosta Barbarouses, Callum McCowatt, Jesse Randall, Logan Rogerson, Chris Wood

Fixtures (NZ time)

Friday, September 5, 9.45pm: v Socceroos; GIO Stadium, Canberra

Tuesday, September 9, 7pm: v Socceroos; Go Media Stadium, Auckland

Last five head-to-head results

October 2023: All Whites 0-2 Socceroos; Gtech Community Stadium, London

September 2022: All Whites 0-2 Socceroos; Eden Park, Auckland

September 2022: All Whites 0-1 Socceroos; Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

June 2011: All Whites 0-3 Socceroos; Adelaide Oval

May 2010: All Whites 1-2 Socceroos; Melbourne Cricket Ground