Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Former Bafana Bafana player Keryn Jordan has been named New Zealand's ASB Premiership Player of the Decade.
According to the ASB Premiership's official website, player- and team-of-the-decade promotions gave fans the opportunity to select the players who have had the biggest impact on the competition since its inception in 2004.
The fan voting overwhelmingly settled on Jordan, who sadly lost his battle with cancer in 2013, as the best player to have graced the ASB Premiership competition, the striker earning the Golden Boot in the first two seasons.
Another South African, Grant Young, made the substitutes' bench for the division's Team of the Decade.
Jordan’s widow Sherry, his former Auckland City coach Allan Jones, club chairperson Ivan Vuksich and New Zealand Football CEO Andy Martin were on hand on Sunday for the presentation of the award in Auckland.
Jones, who recruited Jordan to the club after the South African spent the inaugural season with Waitakere United, said the striker was a unique game-changer.
“Keryn had a massive effect both within the team and in the league,” said Jones.
“Opponents were so conscious of his presence they over-covered the space he would use which often provided the opportunity for players breaking from our midfield to score.”
Second on the all-time ASB Premiership scoring list with 62 goals, Jones spoke of a player who ticked all the boxes.
“Keryn had an excellent attitude to work and demanded much from himself as well as those around him. He was a delight to coach, always interested and very professional in his approach to the game.
“His all-round technical ability was high, both on the ground and in the air. He was a clinical finisher and scored big goals in big games.
“Technically, he possessed one of the tightest reverse chop turns I’ve ever seen and he constantly wrong-footed centre backs with great embarrassment as those turns often produced direct strikes and goals.”
Jordan, who was 37 when he died, earned one cap for Bafana Bafana, and was a member of the Manning Rangers squad that won the inaugural Premier Soccer League title in 1996/97.
ASB Premiership Team of the Decade:
1. Danny ROBINSON (GK) - Waitakere United & Waikato FC
2. James PRITCHETT (D) - Auckland City FC
3. Ian HOGG (D) - Auckland City FC, Hawke's Bay United & Waitakere United
4. Ivan VICELICH (D) - Auckland City FC
5. Danny HAY (D) - Waitakere United
6. Chris BALE (M) - Waitakere United, Team Wellington & Auckland City FC
7. Aaron CLAPHAM (M) - Canterbury United
8. Albert RIERA (M) - Auckland City FC
9. Keryn JORDAN (F) - Auckland City FC & Waitakere United
10. Roy KRISHNA (F) - Waitakere United & Auckland City FC
11. Benjamin TOTORI (F) - YoungHeart Manawatu & Waitakere United
Substitutes:
12. Ross NICHOLSON (GK) - Auckland City FC & YoungHeart Manawatu
13. Allan PEARCE (F) - Waitakere United
14. Grant YOUNG (F) - Auckland City FC
15. Jake BUTLER (M) - Waitakere United
16. Ben SIGMUND (D) - Auckland City FC & Canterbury United
Coach: Allan JONES - Auckland City FC
According to the ASB Premiership's official website, player- and team-of-the-decade promotions gave fans the opportunity to select the players who have had the biggest impact on the competition since its inception in 2004.
The fan voting overwhelmingly settled on Jordan, who sadly lost his battle with cancer in 2013, as the best player to have graced the ASB Premiership competition, the striker earning the Golden Boot in the first two seasons.
Another South African, Grant Young, made the substitutes' bench for the division's Team of the Decade.
Jordan’s widow Sherry, his former Auckland City coach Allan Jones, club chairperson Ivan Vuksich and New Zealand Football CEO Andy Martin were on hand on Sunday for the presentation of the award in Auckland.
Jones, who recruited Jordan to the club after the South African spent the inaugural season with Waitakere United, said the striker was a unique game-changer.
“Keryn had a massive effect both within the team and in the league,” said Jones.
“Opponents were so conscious of his presence they over-covered the space he would use which often provided the opportunity for players breaking from our midfield to score.”
Second on the all-time ASB Premiership scoring list with 62 goals, Jones spoke of a player who ticked all the boxes.
“Keryn had an excellent attitude to work and demanded much from himself as well as those around him. He was a delight to coach, always interested and very professional in his approach to the game.
“His all-round technical ability was high, both on the ground and in the air. He was a clinical finisher and scored big goals in big games.
“Technically, he possessed one of the tightest reverse chop turns I’ve ever seen and he constantly wrong-footed centre backs with great embarrassment as those turns often produced direct strikes and goals.”
Jordan, who was 37 when he died, earned one cap for Bafana Bafana, and was a member of the Manning Rangers squad that won the inaugural Premier Soccer League title in 1996/97.
ASB Premiership Team of the Decade:
1. Danny ROBINSON (GK) - Waitakere United & Waikato FC
2. James PRITCHETT (D) - Auckland City FC
3. Ian HOGG (D) - Auckland City FC, Hawke's Bay United & Waitakere United
4. Ivan VICELICH (D) - Auckland City FC
5. Danny HAY (D) - Waitakere United
6. Chris BALE (M) - Waitakere United, Team Wellington & Auckland City FC
7. Aaron CLAPHAM (M) - Canterbury United
8. Albert RIERA (M) - Auckland City FC
9. Keryn JORDAN (F) - Auckland City FC & Waitakere United
10. Roy KRISHNA (F) - Waitakere United & Auckland City FC
11. Benjamin TOTORI (F) - YoungHeart Manawatu & Waitakere United
Substitutes:
12. Ross NICHOLSON (GK) - Auckland City FC & YoungHeart Manawatu
13. Allan PEARCE (F) - Waitakere United
14. Grant YOUNG (F) - Auckland City FC
15. Jake BUTLER (M) - Waitakere United
16. Ben SIGMUND (D) - Auckland City FC & Canterbury United
Coach: Allan JONES - Auckland City FC
