Ricki Herbert

Herbert represented New Zealand at age group level, playing for the New Zealand under-20 side and gained 61 full international caps from 1980 to 1989, scoring seven goals. Herbert made his full international début in a 4–0 win over Mexico on 20 August 1980 at the age of 19, and featured in all 15 matches of the All Whites' World Cup qualifying campaign for the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain. Herbert was a substitute for the loss against Scotland, but was reinstated to the starting eleven for both Soviet Union and Brazil as New Zealand failed to claim any points in their first World Cup finals appearance. At club level, he represented a number of teams in his homeland and played in the Australian league. He had his greatest success with Mt Wellington AFC where he won three league championships during two spells with the club and two Chatham Cup triumphs. In 1982 Herbert spent some time in England at Southampton F.C., where he made a few appearances for the reserve team and one disastrous friendly appearance for the first team. He also had a spell in English football with Wolverhampton Wanderers from 1984 to 1986, where he made 49 appearances in total. He was signed by manager Tommy Docherty who had previously coached Herbert while manager of Sydney Olympic. However, his time at the club coincided with them sliding down the leagues; Herbert was part of the team relegated to the third tier in 1985, but left in March 1986 shortly before a successive relegation after falling out…

Early career

Herbert began his coaching career at Papakura City AFC in 1990, before taking over at neighbouring Papatoetoe AFC in 1993. From 1996 he took charge of Central United in the National Summer League, finishing mid table in his first season in charge. In both 1997 and 1998, Herbert took Central United to victory in the Chatham Cup and finished a close second in the league. In 1999, New Zealand reverted to separate North Island and South Island leagues, with the winners of each playing off for title of New Zealand Champion. Central United, winners of the North Island Soccer League, defeated the South Island winner, Dunedin Technical, 3–1, after extra time, in the championship final.

New Zealand

Oly-Whites and U17

Herbert's domestic success attracted attention from NZ football association, and in 1999 he was appointed coach of the under-23 Oly-Whites qualifying campaign for the Sydney Olympics. An appointment of assistant national coach followed in 2001. In 2003 Herbert took charge of the New Zealand U-17 team. As Director of Technical Development, Herbert was again responsible for New Zealand Olympic campaign in 2004, although they failed to qualify for the finals in Athens.

National team

Herbert was appointed All Whites coach on 25 February 2005, replacing Mick Waitt after being his assistant since 2003, with his first game in charge being scheduled in June that year as a friendly against archrival Australia. As national…

Herbert comes from a successful sporting family. His mother, Shirley, was a champion sprinter while his father, Clive, was a professional cyclist. His father was also a long-time football administrator, represented New Zealand as an official at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico, and was a professional trainer of standardbred harness racing horses. Herbert's son, Kale, is a professional football coach, working as head coach for the Ricki Herbert Football Academy and as head coach for Hamilton Wanderers who play in the New Zealand Football Championship in New Zealand. A biography of Herbert's life, A New Fire, written by Russell Gray, was published in New Zealand by HarperCollins in 2009.

Individual

New Zealand Young Player of the Year: 1980 New Zealand coach of the year: 2007, 2010 Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit: 2011 New Year Honours

Club

Mt Wellington AFC

Chatham Cup: 1980, 1982 New Zealand Champions: 1980, 1982, 1986 Sydney Olympic FC

Australian National Soccer League Cup: 1983

As manager

Central United

Chatham Cup: 1997, 1998 New Zealand Champions: 1999 New Zealand

OFC Nations Cup: 2008