The Kiwi players in the United States are now back on the training field after pre-season training kicked off while New Zealanders continue to be at the centre of transfer news in many other parts of the globe.

In England, Winston Reid and Chris Wood continue to be out of action due to injury for West Ham United and Burnley respectively, leaving the news columns quiet in regards to Kiwi activity in the Premier League. The Hammers appeared to miss Reid’s defensive abilities in a shock 2-0 loss to League One leaders Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup while Burnley could have done with Wood’s eye for goal in a 1-0 loss to Manchester United in the Premier League. But there was some good news on the Wood front with the All Whites striker stepping up his comeback outside with the physio department. He will also be excited by the prospect of linking up with new signing Aaron Lennon, the former England winger joining Burnley from Everton and expected to provide the ammunition for Wood. In a further boost, the manager who brought Wood back into the top flight is set for an extended stay after the highly-regarded Sean Dyche signed a contract extension to keep him at the club until 2022.

The second-tier Championship is now a Kiwi-free zone though after the departure of Tommy Smith, who got the chance to say goodbye to the Ipswich Town fans on the pitch at Portman Road ahead of the Tractor Boys’ 1-0 loss to Wolves. Smith leaves the club on very good terms after over ten years of service and nearly 270 appearances – more than any other graduate of the club’s academy. The 27-year-old centre back was delighted to get the opportunity to express his gratitude to the Ipswich supporters. “It was great to get a chance to say goodbye to the fans properly before I leave for Denver,” he said. “Thank you again for all your generous support over the years and well wishes as I embark on this new journey.” Smith is heading to American Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise the Colorado Rapids and will link up with his former national team manager Anthony Hudson, as well as fellow All Whites Kip Colvey and Deklan Wynne. Despite Smith’s departure, there could soon be another Kiwi presence in the Championship with Adam Mitchell continuing to make a positive impact at Bolton Wanderers. The young centre back put in another 90-minute shift as the Trotters’ U-23 side extended their remarkable unbeaten run in the Professional Development League to 11 games with a last-gasp 2-1 win over Huddersfield Town. The win strengthens Bolton’s position at the top of the table in the northern section of the competition.

In the lower leagues, Clayton Lewis was not involved in the match day squad as Scunthorpe United suffered a dramatic 3-2 loss to Southend United in League One and the news wasn’t any better for former All Whites defender Steven Old in League Two. The centre back has firmly established himself in Morecambe’s starting line-up but lasted only 10 minutes of a 2-1 loss to Mansfield Town before being forced off with an injury. There is no news yet on the extent of Old’s injury but he will aim to get back to fitness as soon as possible to help Morecambe stave off relegation. It wasn’t a good weekend all round for the England-based New Zealanders with Max Crocombe also suffering a defeat in the National League North. The 2-1 loss at Brackley Town brings an end to Salford City’s three-game winning streak but they still have a five-point lead at the top of the table. Another Kiwi may soon be joining the professional ranks in England as two-cap All White Henry Cameron’s spell in Ireland with Limerick FC has come to an end. The former Blackpool midfielder has been told he is not in the plans of new coach Tommy Barrett and is heading back across the Irish Sea to find another club.

In the female game, Football Ferns fullback Anna Green could only look on from the bench as Reading picked up a point with a scoreless draw against Arsenal in the FA Women’s Super League. Newly-named England manager Phil Neville was in attendance as the Royals earned a first point and clean sheet of 2018. They have now earned nine points from their seven matches – including games against Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City – to already equal the tally they managed in the whole of last season. Green’s fellow Fern Olivia Chance was also in action against one of the giants of the English game but her Everton team could not quite take anything from their narrow 1-0 loss to Chelsea. Midfielder Chance started the match and played for nearly the entirety before being replaced late on, just a few minutes after Chelsea had found the winner. The Kiwi was most likely withdrawn as a pre-caution after going down with ten minutes remaining and needing treatment. Everton could well have claimed a point after being awarded a penalty midway through the first half but Courtney Sweetman-Kirk struck the post with her effort.

Across the Atlantic, the ever-growing contingent of Kiwis in the MLS are back in action as their respective clubs get into pre-season training. Getting underway under the watchful eye of Hudson at the Colorado Rapids are Wynne and Colvey, who are soon to be joined by an excited Smith. “The ambition the Colorado Rapids have for the future was a big factor in my discussion in going there,” he said. “It is very clear now that the ambition is to win another MLS Cup. It’s something I haven’t done in my career, so it will be a great goal for me to achieve personally as well.”

The Rapids are not the only MLS outfit that now have multiple New Zealanders on their books with Stefan Marinovic, Myer Bevan and Cory Brown all getting their pre-seasons underway at the Vancouver Whitecaps and Jake Gleeson, Bill Tuiloma and Stuart Holthusen doing likewise for the Portland Timbers. With Michael Boxall a mainstay at Minnesota United, James Musa trying to establish himself for Sporting Kansas City and three Kiwis having just been picked up in the draft – Brown, Holthusen and Elliot Collier (Chicago Fire) – the New Zeland influence in America’s most high-profile league has never been stronger. Also on the right track for MLS glory is Kyle Adams, who has signed for United Soccer League (USL) outfit Rio Grande Valley, a feeder team to the Houston Dynamo. Football Ferns striker Rosie White is another who will soon find herself in new surroundings after the folding with immediate effect of the Boston Breakers. Happily for White, she was picked up straight away by the Chicago Red Stars in the subsequent dispersal draft.

Developments on the player movement front have been just as frequent in Europe, where the Football Ferns pair of Aimee Phillips and Meikayla Moore have both signed their first professional contracts after graduating from the Future Ferns Development Programme (FFDP). Defender Moore has put pen to paper with German Bundesliga club FC Koln – for whom she will link up with fellow Fern Amber Hearn – while striker Phillips will play for Spartak Subotica in Serbia. Their moves to Europe are the latest success stories for the FFDP, which has already helped Katie Rood (Juventus), CJ Bott (USV Jena) and Jana Radosavljevic (BV Cloppenburg) join the professional game.

Also on the move is Nikko Boxall, brother of All Whites defender Michael, who has completed a switch from Finland’s KuPS to Danish club Viborg FF after a successful trial in November. Viborg play in the second-tier Superliga and Boxall is delighted to have joined them. “I’ve been waiting for a while and now I’m just glad that everything has fallen into place,” he said. “I’m very proud and excited to get started and am looking forward to pulling my shirt over my head. We have an important half season ahead of us and the club’s ambitions fit me well. I will do everything I can to help the team back to where Viborg belongs.”

Nearby in the Netherlands, there wasn’t much to celebrate for Ryan Thomas and Marco Rojas. Thomas was handed the captain’s armband for PEC Zwolle’s clash with Vitesse but was left frustrated as his side suffered a 2-1 loss, dropping to fifth on the Eredivisie table. They will now face a tough task to get back on track as they are set to face league leaders PSV Eindhoven. Rojas was able to celebrate three points with SC Heerenveen but played no part in that success as he was an unused substitute in the 2-1 win over Sparta Rotterdam. In contrast, Themi Tzimopoulos was right in the thick of the action in Greece, claiming the man of the match award after heading in an injury-time winner for PAS Giannina in a 1-0 victory at Panionios Athens. The French Cup hopes of Football Ferns goalkeeper Erin Nayler were meanwhile being dashed as Bordeaux were knocked out by second-tier La Roche VF. Nayler took up her usual position between the sticks but was beaten just after the break and Bordeaux could not claw themselves back into the contest.

In other parts of the world, there was more transfer news as one-cap All White Kayne Vincent left Thai top-flight club Air Force Central for second division Kasetsart. In South Africa, there was a thrill for Jeremy Brockie and his Mamelodi Sundowns team mates when the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, joined in with a training session. Bolt’s appearance was organised through a mutual sponsor and came as a surprise to Brockie. “There were rumours circulating that Bolt was going to be there but until I saw it with my own eyes I didn’t really want to believe it,” he said. “It was awesome to rub shoulders with one of the biggest celebrities and athletes in the world. It was a great experience and something I won’t forget.” On the pitch, the Sundowns picked up a point on the road with a goalless draw against Kaizer Chiefs but still have a four-point lead at the top of the South African Premier Soccer League. Brockie came close to breaking the deadlock after entering the fray as a substitute in the 57^th minute but struck the crossbar with his shot.

Closer to home in the A-League, the Wellington Phoenix suffered a 1-0 loss at home to Adelaide United with Andrew Durante, Tom Doyle, Matt Ridenton and Michael McGlinchey all starting while Alex Rufer and Logan Rogerson came on as late substitutes. Despite the defeat, it was a memorable occasion for recently-retired All White Durante, who equalled the all-time A-League appearance record of 278 and is set to surpass the mark this Friday against Sydney FC. Meanwhile Kosta Barbarouses and Jai Ingham both started for Melbourne Victory in a 3-1 loss to Sydney and combined to nearly take the lead early on, Barbarouses picking out Ingham from the right but the latter not managing to get his effort on target. Ingham later played a key role as the Victory took the lead, being brought down for a penalty just before the hour which Besart Berisha converted. Elsewhere Glen Moss was an unused substitute for the Newcastle Jets in a 2-2 draw with Melbourne City while Storm Roux came on in the 65^th minute for the Central Coast Mariners in their 2-1 loss to Brisbane Roar.