INTERVIEW: From Newport to New Zealand: Former Tottenham coach Anthony Hudson

New Zealand’s coach Anthony Hudson has his eyes set on achieving international success, keeping Russia 2018 in mind. As he was picked this week to be included in the High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ) Coach Accelerator Programme, responsible for developing some outstanding sports coaches in New Zealand including All Blacks leader Steven Hansen, Black Caps coach Mike Hesson and Cycling New Zealand Head Coach Dale Cheatley, the Englishman talks to the Offside Rule’s Rich Laverty about his managerial journey so far and his hopes with the All Whites.

You’ve been in the new job almost six months now, how have you found settling into such a wonderful country and what are your immediate aims for the side?

I’ve loved every minute of it; Great country and great people. I’ve grown a lot in a short space of time. New Zealand is an incredible place for coaches who want to learn and develop as there are many people and resources that are available to help. Immediate aims are for us to rebuild the team, being here and give experience to our young players, align all out national teams to one playing style and to prepare for our qualification for Russia 2018.

You had quite an affiliation with Bahrain given you’d managed the U23 side and then taken the national team to the Asia Cup. It must have been difficult to give all that up just a few months before the tournament?

It was. I loved it there and loved working with the players. Good people and great experience, one that I’ll never forget. It was very difficult at the time, but the move was the right one.

You were born in America and had a very brief playing career over here, how did you find trying to get into coaching without having really played the game?

I don’t know any different to what I’ve experienced and I’ve loved every second. There are plenty of challenges but that’s the exciting part of it. I want to learn, develop and be able to help grow and leave football in a better place for the clubs and teams I work for. It’s about leaving football in New Zealand in a better place, giving the country great times, exciting the people, making them proud of their team, and helping the players have even bigger careers. That’s what it’s all about.

What did you learn working under people like Harry Redknapp and did you feel prepared for the job at Newport County given your age compared to other managers in the game?

Harry is a good man most importantly. He’s helped me a great deal and I’ll always be very grateful. When he was at Spurs he built a balanced and exciting team that played some great football. The atmosphere and mode was excellent and that’s what he creates. Good man, manager, knows a top footballer, and wants the game to be played the right way.

I was absolutely ready for Newport. I already have been managing in the second division in the states for two years prior and assistant for two years prior to that so was well equipped. As a young manager as I was then, you don’t get afforded too much time to get it right, unlike a bigger name would. But that’s the reality and you learn from it and respond the right way. Newport was a good club, good fans and I came away from that experience wanting nothing more than to work harder, learn and prove people wrong. That’s what’s great about coaching.

Not many people can say they skipped straight from Newport to the Middle East, how did that move come about? It seems clear you’re somebody who likes to push themselves with new challenges wherever it may take you?

Peter Taylor gave me the opportunity to come to Bahrain. Another person I’m very grateful to have got to know. He’s a good man, honest, direct and someone you really want to work for. I learnt a lot from Pete. Everything he did in Bahrain was for the sole intention of trying to improve football in that country. Everything he did. That’s something that really stood out and I try and take that same mindset with me in my work.

You know you always have a good chance of making at least a World Cup play-off managing the top team in Oceania, was that a big influence in your decision to take the job? If not, what was?

Yes. I want to go to the World Cup.

Finally, your Dad was obviously a successful footballer over here, how much of an influence was he and does he continue to be so now?

He was a top footballer and made many people very happy. As you can imagine growing up, watching his games is something that motivated me to want to become a player of course.

Follow @RichJLaverty