Ben Waine: Port Vale Fringe to New Zealand World Cup Dream
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- Ben Waine spent extended periods out of the Port Vale squad this season, but credits daily one-on-one finishing sessions with individual coach Simon Ireland for sharpening his technique in front of goal
- Waine scored the winning goal against Sunderland in an FA Cup tie in March — a looping header he says he had visualized during training — and celebrated with an Alan Shearer salute in front of the traveling Sunderland fans
- Waine left Wellington Phoenix for Plymouth Argyle in January 2023, adapting to League One and then the Championship before a loan to Mansfield failed to produce regular minutes
- New Zealand are drawn against Iran, Egypt and Belgium in their World Cup group, and Waine says the squad believes they can record a first World Cup win and reach the knockout stage for the first time
- Waine has been deployed on the left, right and through the middle for Port Vale, and frames the versatility as an asset behind established striker Chris Wood, New Zealand's record scorer
- New Zealand's pre-tournament form has been mixed: a 4-1 win over Chile in March was followed by defeats to Colombia, Ecuador, Finland, Haiti and England
Why it matters: New Zealand are rank outsiders in a group containing Egypt and Belgium, so Waine's individual resurgence — from Port Vale outcast to FA Cup match-winner — gives the All Whites a credible bench option behind Chris Wood and a rare goalscoring threat from wide or central areas.
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