New Zealand Football Chairman Frank van Hattum has said that he is extremely shocked by the decision of captain Tim Brown to retire from the international duty after eight years of hard football.
However, he also said that his estimate delighted for his presence over the years. Tim Brown has been the captain of the New Zealand national football team, but the 31-year-old has now announced his retirement from international scene, as he will be pursuing higher studies in the United Kingdom. Tim Brown will be taking up the Masters in Management program at the Cambridge University or at the London School of Economics in the summer.
Due to the commitments, Tim Brown has announced his retirement from all levels of football, which comes as a major shock to the New Zealand football fans. New Zealand were hoping to have Tim Brown as their major player at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Brown made his debut for the New Zealand national football team back in 2004 and has made 30 appearances so far. He has captained the nation in 13 of those appearances, while he was an ever present using the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup campaign. He is one of the first names on the team sheet if he is fit and ready.
“Tim’s a home-grown talent that has not only been part of a wonderful era for the game, he’s been an integral part of the resurgence of football in New Zealand through the both the All Whites and Wellington Phoenix. He’s a passionate and intelligent man and he had universal respect from players, staff and administrators,” van Hattum said. Brown was also part of the New Zealand squad that went to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but almost hat to pull out due to a shoulder injury.