Waine: There is going to be that opportunity to be New Zealand's hero

Ben Waine interview: Port Vale and New Zealand forward on his World Cup adventure as he dreams of being the hero In this exclusive interview with Sky Sports, New Zealand's Ben Waine opens up about his ups and downs in English football with Plymouth, Mansfield and Port Vale as he dreams of World Cup glory - and the possibility of another Alan Shearer celebration on the biggest stage.. Monday 15 June 2026 09:02, UK Every player at this World Cup has their own story of how they made it to what Gianni Infantino calls the '104 Super Bowls' that will make up this tournament. But for Ben Waine, it all felt very far away when he was out of the Port Vale squad not so long ago. "It has been a tough season. I'm not going to lie," he tells Sky Sports. "There was a good amount of time where I wasn't in the squad at all. It sucked in the moment but it was probably one of the best things to happen to me. I was really able to work on my game." Although Port Vale were relegated, the 25-year-old New Zealand forward turned things around on a personal level, scoring the winning goal against Sunderland in a memorable FA Cup tie in March. "It made a tough season a little bit more bearable," he explains. - World Cup 2026 fixture schedule and UK kick-off times - World Cup group guides in full - World Cup kits revealed! | Transfer Centre LIVE! - World Cup key info - format, venues, prize money And the goal itself was the product of those hours that he put in. Waine credits the one-on-one sessions that he had with individual coach Simon Ireland. "Literally, every day we would work on one or two types of finish, just focusing on the technique," he says. "It was about trying to find that composure, that finish that I could go to without thinking so it became instinct. It gave me real purpose. I knew what I was working towards. Even when things were not going well, I had that to work on. It made me relax a bit more." How did that help? "Because I was so desperate to do well, I was rushing actions in front of goal." And, while much of the work was on his shooting technique, the header that did for Sunderland came as a result of those sessions. He had pictured that goal. "The second finishing drill we didn't do a huge amount of but I did a lot of visualising of it off the field as well. And the one goal that I actually pictured was that Sunderland goal, the kind of loopy header back across the goalkeeper. I had actually visualised it. "It does not seem like one you would practise when you are just working on the technique of hitting the ball but that action of going across the goalkeeper is one we had worked on and it just became a bit more natural. It was really cool to see that come off." Waine, whose family are Newcastle supporters, memorably celebrated with an Alan Shearer goal salute in front of the travelling Sunderland fans. "It was just awesome. I had never seen the stadium like that before. It was absolutely bouncing," he recalls. It was one of eight goals that he scored for Port Vale, underlining the turnaround in his fortunes. "I kind of took it with both hands. It sounds silly but I actually enjoyed playing my football again." That reflects the fact that the move to England has not been easy. Waine left Wellington Phoenix to sign for Plymouth Argyle in January of 2023. The Devon club were in League One at the time and it was a big challenge to adapt his game to the demands of English football - a challenge that became harder once Plymouth went up. "I knew the jump to League One would be big. Not technically, but in terms of intensity and physicality, the adjustment was massive. And then you get this amazing promotion and you are playing Championship football all of a sudden. It almost came too quickly." There were a couple of goals at Championship level, one coming against Leeds United at Elland Road. But he was loaned to Mansfield in search of more minutes and could not find them. "That just did not work out at all." Was he ever tempted to go home? "I promised myself that however hard it got I was not going to go back. That would have been the easy option. I stuck it out and have come out of it as a better player and a better person." And he now has his reward, going into a World Cup with real belief. Waine has played in two Olympic Games for New Zealand so he has experience of big international occasions. "France in the Velodrome was an awesome game to be a part of." But he knows the World Cup will be different. "It is going to be another level up." The All Whites have already had a taste of that in their preparation. Although Waine scored in a 4-1 win over Chile in March, there have been defeats to Colombia, Ecuador and Finland before recent losses to Haiti and England. They have felt the level rise. "You have to realise that when we are stepping up and playing harder opposition, we cannot expect the results to be perfect. We have had to mentally adjust." For Waine, there could be a positional adjustment to make too if he is to see World Cup action. Although he describes himself as "a running nine" who likes to "press hard and get in behind the opposition" he knows Chris Wood is New Zealand's most celebrated player. Having experience of playing from the left at Port Vale could prove very helpful. "At the start, I was a bit hesitant but I see it as a really positive thing. It just felt really natural. I am actually playing on the left, on the right and down the middle now. It adds another dynamic, which should help my case." Because there will be no ousting Wood. What has he learned from his country's record scorer? Patience is one trait that stands out. "As a striker, you can barely touch the ball all game but when that one chance comes, you had better take it. He has proven time and time again that he can do that." One chance. That is what Waine is hoping for now. "There is going to be that opportunity to be the hero. You just want that one moment." New Zealand face Iran first up before taking on Egypt and Belgium. They are not fancied but there are more daunting groups. "My first thought was that we have actually got a chance here. Everyone sees us as underdogs but we want to take the opportunity that is in front of us. We want to get our first win on the world stage and we want to get out of the group for the first time ever." He is not optimistic about getting Mohamed Salah's shirt. "I am assuming there will be a few people pulling rank." But maybe he will get something more significant. A World Cup moment. Another Shearer celebration? "Maybe it will reappear," he says, laughing. The aim, as ever, is just to give himself the best chance of success. "To squeeze the most out of my potential." And after what he calls "a lot of ups and downs" he has given himself that chance to do something really special. "It just has to be taken really."