Manager Roy Keane says defender Tommy Smith’s decision to switch international allegiance to New Zealand will have no effect on his Town career. Yesterday, New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert revealed that former England U17 international Smith had been in contact with him to commit to playing for the nation where he was brought up ahead of the World Cup in South Africa.

Keane told the club site: "New Zealand are keen for Tommy to be involved with them and I've spoken to him and said it would have no effect on his career at Ipswich - knowing the travelling involved - if he decided to follow up their approach.

"If he gets the opportunity to play for New Zealand - and it's still a big if because he will have to impress their manager - then my advice is go for it. If he wants to play in the World Cup, then go and do it.

"He's obviously not played in any of their qualifying games but New Zealand won't have a big range of players and it will be down to the manager to take the best squad of players he can to South Africa.

"It's the first time New Zealand have qualified for the finals in 28 years so there won't be too many opportunities. If Tommy makes it, then good luck to him."

Smith, who qualifies for New Zealand through residency after living there between the ages of eight and 16, is likely to make his full international debut in a friendly against Mexico in Los Angeles on March 3rd.

Photo: Action Images

Marcus added 09:37 - Dec 23 Good luck Tommy! Residency is an interesting way of gaining a national allegiance. If I was a footballer I could play for at least seven countries if residency is sufficient and all the other arguments used! Then again I'm not a sportsman until they make being a couch potato into a professional sport.
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Uttlesford_ITFC added 09:56 - Dec 23 Sort of makes a mockery of it all, but best of luck to Tommy. Atleast we know we have a Franco-Spanish-Italian-African-England team for the future, as they will all qualify for the national team soon, THEN we will win the World Cup. Why not? The Irish have been doing it for decades.
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Greektractor added 10:59 - Dec 23 "Manager Roy Keane says defender Tommy Smith's decision to switch international allegiance to New Zealand will have no effect on his Town career" Positive perhaps phil?
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Pique added 13:00 - Dec 23 I don't personally think the residency qualification makes a mockery of anything. Surely someone who's spent eight of the most formative years of their life in a country can be said to have formed a strong allegiance to that nation? Certainly more so that someone who qualifies solely through a grandparent, at any rate. Anyway, good luck Tommy, and well done to Keane for publicly backing him. It's the right decision in my opinion. You have to take these chances when they come around, and who knows? They might do better than we think...

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arc added 13:17 - Dec 23 Tommy strikes me as the latest of Town's great youngsters who is not going to make it. He's another one who has got to age 19 without having broken into the first team to stay. If he was as good as predicted, he would be a regular by now–it's not as if the opportunity wasn't there. I hope I'm wrong.
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IpswichBuryTrueBlue added 14:11 - Dec 23 arc, if he was a striker or atacking midfielder id agree with you, bowditch for example, but i dont think you fully develop as a defender til the later years anyway? next season i think he'l be a key player for us.
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brockleyblueboy added 14:14 - Dec 23 Well that's a positve thought for the lad to take with him arc! 19 is still a young age, especially for a defender. Ok players like rooney who were amazing at 16 come along once a blue moon. He is a solid fringe player to have and if it wasn't for a couple of injuries he would be getting games. Bottom line he is playing in a positon where for once we have a solid partnership. If he wasn't any good, then he would have been got rid of i.e Jordon Rhodes, Dean Bowditch to name a couple. Roy knows what he is doing with these youngsters, so don't be too quick to judge them.

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CheshireBlue added 14:17 - Dec 23 arc - if you remeber rightly Smith was playing regularly alongside McAuley until he picked up the injury to his hand in training. That was when Delaney and McAuley came together and the results have gone our way. If one of them gets injured or suspended Smith is next in line and therefore if we then went on an unbeaten run he would stay in the team. To say he is likely to fail at the age of 19 being a central defender is just rubbish and clearly shows what a lack of football knowledge you have. Defenders always take time to develop and personally I think he has a massive future, he just needs the chance

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blueblood66 added 14:27 - Dec 23 traitor
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Back_The_Boss added 14:32 - Dec 23 Bright future ahead of him, this should give him some experience and help him.
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FormerlyCGS added 15:33 - Dec 23 greek tracter u moron
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Uttlesford_ITFC added 15:45 - Dec 23 Pique, living somewhere for 8 years is hardly a vow of dedication to a country, particulary when he had no interest in it prior to the two magic words. Anyhow you only have to be in the UK for 8 seconds to see why everyone here wants to leave anyway ha! So maybe you are right. I qualify for England ...and Wales, France, Germany and Italy through my grandparents ha... so yeah it does not count for much. If only I was born in Trinidad, then I could get to see the World Cup...

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FenboyBlue added 16:03 - Dec 23 Aye you can laugh. This is the World Cup! Shoulda cleared it. Drop him an email. Pick up the phone. Get over it.
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Vexorg added 16:39 - Dec 23 "Manager Roy Keane says defender Tommy Smith's decision to switch international allegiance to New Zealand will have no effect on his Town career" Catholic Pope?
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Redmond added 18:45 - Dec 23 New Zealand seems to be are 2nd Team in world cup after England of course :) good to see town players playing in the World Cup. Good Luck Tommy!!
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biffo added 20:38 - Dec 23 the irish have been doing it 4 decades take a look at the english cricket team........
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