Tommy Smith's last club season ended in relegation. Braintree Town finished second-bottom of the National League and dropped into the National League South. And yet, Smith is now in North America, part of New Zealand's World Cup squad. That's the story.
The 36-year-old central defender — born in Macclesfield, raised in New Zealand, professional career scattered across three continents — made a deliberate bet last summer. He flew back from Auckland to join Braintree specifically because All Whites head coach Darren Bazeley rated a gritty non-league campaign more highly than another comfortable season in the A-League. Smith took a wage cut, likely a significant one, to fight for a place in a World Cup squad.
A career that's gone everywhere
To understand why this story works, you need the full picture. Smith came through the Ipswich Town academy, signed his first pro contract at Portman Road, and spent 11 years there on and off. After that, he went to MLS with the Colorado Rapids — CONCACAF Champions League football included. Then Sunderland, then Colchester United, then MK Dons, then Australia's A-League with Macarthur, then Auckland FC, where he was appointed vice-captain of an expansion club in its first-ever season.
Auckland, for what it's worth, won the A-League last season. Smith had already left by then. Braintree called.
His international pedigree is real too. Smith was part of the New Zealand side that went unbeaten at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa — drawing with Slovakia, Italy, and Paraguay. He held dual English-New Zealand citizenship and chose the All Whites, reasoning they gave him the better path to tournament football. Sixteen years later, that logic still holds.
What he's actually getting out of this
Realistically, Smith isn't going to play much. He didn't get on the pitch in New Zealand's opening draw with Iran, and with Egypt and Belgium still to come in the group, game time looks unlikely. He was an unused substitute in both warm-up matches against Haiti and England. The squad included him despite him not featuring for the All Whites since 2024 and skipping the March international window entirely.
So this is Bazeley rewarding commitment and experience over form. Whether that's smart squad management or sentimentality is a fair debate — but for the betting picture, New Zealand's defensive options and selection logic matter. Smith's inclusion signals Bazeley values leadership in the squad environment, not just on the pitch.
- Smith has played professionally in England, the United States, and Australia
- He was part of New Zealand's unbeaten 2010 World Cup campaign in South Africa
- He joined Braintree Town in summer 2024 specifically to boost his World Cup selection chances
- Braintree were relegated from the National League in 2024-25
- Smith turned 36 in March 2025
Whether he returns to Braintree next season, finds another club somewhere on the globe, or calls it a career is genuinely unknown. What's certain is that he's the only player at this World Cup whose most recent league football came in the sixth tier of the English pyramid. That's not a detail — that's the whole point.
