Most New Zealanders have to leave home to play professional football.
From 2007 to 2024, Wellington was the only place you could without leaving the country.
Auckland FC’s arrival two years ago changed that, putting Aotearoa’s largest city back on the map in the global game.
It also gave a lifeline to an All White who was good enough to have already been playing professionally, as he did from 2011 to 2016, but had heartfelt reasons why he didn’t want to leave Auckland, so had been waiting – without a great deal of hope – for professional football to come to him.
On Saturday night, almost two years to the day since he was unveiled as one of the A-League Men expansion club’s first four signings, Cam Howieson scored the goal that delivered Auckland FC a 1-0 grand final win over Sydney FC and their first championship – his first goal in 44 appearances for the club.
