New Zealand Football has joined the football community in mourning the loss of Keith Nelson, one of the most prolific strikers to grace the game on these shores.

The former All White played 20 full internationals for New Zealand between 1977 and 1983, finding the net 16 times. In all matches, the Scotland-born striker represented his country on 39 occasions and scored 25 goals.

He was also a star of the domestic scene, twice winning the national player of the year award.

Nelson first made a name for himself with his goal-getting exploits in Scottish non-league football, plundering a remarkable 136 goals in 179 games for Cambuslang Rangers. That form earned him four junior international caps, in which he notched five goals, including one in a 2-2 draw against England in 1972.

He emigrated to New Zealand to join Hamilton AFC in 1974 and played a prominent role in the Waikato club’s rise to the national league. He then continued to find the net with regularity at the highest level of domestic football and became a New Zealand international after meeting residency qualification.

He made his first international appearance at 30-years-old against New Caledonia in Auckland and did not score on debut but was on target in his next six internationals.

Pacey and physical, he notched two hat-tricks during his time in a New Zealand shirt – against Taiwan and Fiji – and was recalled in 1983 after not being part of the All Whites’ historic 1982 World Cup campaign. He earned his final cap against Ghana in 1983 aged 36 and is seventh-equal on the all-time goal-scoring list for the All Whites.

Keith Nelson hits a shot towards goals for Hamilton AFC

After Hamilton were relegated in 1978, Nelson moved to Mt Wellington and helped the Auckland-based club to the national league title and a runners-up placing in the Chatham Cup in 1979. Mt Wellington went one better a year later, Nelson’s goals helping take the club to a rare league-and-cup double.

Mt Wellington won the league again in 1982 as Nelson claimed the golden boot for a fourth time.

Former All Whites defender Bobby Almond, who played against Nelson in the national league and alongside him for New Zealand, said the Scot was “a great player, and a great guy”.

“Keith was always a good, old-fashioned striker, a big Scottish lad who would bulldoze away, but also had a lot of skill. He chased after every ball and always worked hard for the rest of his team,” Almond added.

“He scored a lot of goals, and he was a great guy off the field – he always had a smile on his face.”

Keith Nelson passed away last Wednesday at the age of 72 after a short illness. At Keith’s request, a private cremation has been held.

Article added: Monday 03 February 2020