Former All Whites coach Anthony Hudson has been confirmed as the new head coach of the Colorado Rapids in the MLS.

The 36-year-old, who was the head coach of the All Whites for the last three years finishing with the FIFA World Cup qualification playoff against Peru, will join the Denver-based side beginning with the 2018 season.

“It’s an exciting moment and a wonderful opportunity,” said Hudson of his new role. “From the start, I was impressed by the club’s culture, front office and vision for the future. I believe we share a philosophy, and now it’s just a matter of going out and getting the results that both this club and community deserve.”

Interim General Manager Pádraig Smith expressed his confidence in his new coach and is excited about what the Rapids can achieve under Hudson.

“In Anthony, we believe we’ve hired one of the most promising young talents and we’re extremely grateful for the support shown by the Kroenke family and the KSE executive team who remain committed to our goal of bringing another MLS Cup to Colorado.”

New Zealand Football is looking to replace Anthony Hudson as the All Whites coach as soon as possible with NZF Chief Executive saying it was critical to get the right person.

After the recent success on the world stage, Martin said New Zealand Football has had considerable interest already in the position and that he will get together shortly with NZF Technical Director Andreas Heraf to form a target list.

“We start again. We did this three or four years ago and we will do it again. The most important thing is we find the right person. We will find someone who will take the team on from the foundation that Anthony has left behind. The prerequisite for the role is having a Pro License.”