Report claims John Herdman is preferred candidate for All Whites coaching job

posted in: All Whites, Coaching News, News

Newshub claims the current Canadian national coach, John Herdman, is lined up to become the next All Whites coach.

Claiming an exclusive, Newshub says the former Football Ferns coach is New Zealand Football’s preferred candidate.

The report says:

“Newshub understands the 47-year-old has agreed terms, although contracts haven’t been signed and his appointment cannot yet be considered a done deal.”

Speculation has followed the news that NZ Football had a preferred candidate but there was a hold-up in the appointment process because they “had to be called upon to help manage a family health issue.”

Instead, national U-20 coach Darren Bazeley has agreed to be the interim coach for the All Whites two-match series against China in March.

Newshub said NZ Football CEO Andrew Pragnell would not comment specifically on Herdman but the preferred candidate was “100 percent” on board to take up the role before a personal situation put a hold on the process.

Herdman has had a meteoric coaching career since leading New Zealand’s U-20 women’s teams at age group World Cups in 2006 and 2010.

He coached the Football Ferns at FIFA Women’s World Cups in 2007 and 2011.

He left to become head coach of the Canadian women’s national team, and then became head coach of the Canadian men’s national team, leading them to the FIFA World Cup finals in Qatar.

His son, Jay, who was born in Invercargill, represented New Zealand at the OFC U-19 Championship in Tahiti last year, winning qualification to this year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Newshub’s story

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