Wood wants New Zealand coach Hay to stay

Striker believes it would be a huge mistake to let head coach leave

LONDON:

New Zealand striker Chris Wood said it would be a huge mistake to let head coach Danny Hay go and that the whole team want him to stay on in the job.

Hay's contract is due to expire at the end of next month after the All Whites missed out on qualifying for the World Cup finals in Qatar.

"I think everybody would be absolutely silly if you let this man go," said Newcastle United forward Wood after New Zealand's 2-0 defeat by Australia in Auckland on Sunday.

"You can see how much has changed in 12 months. Can you imagine what he can do in four years? "Without a shadow of a doubt I want him here. The team wants him here. We play better football under him. And if we let him go, I think it's absolutely detrimental to New Zealand football."

Hay took charge of the national team in 2019 and led the Olympic side to the quarter-finals of the Tokyo Games, where they lost to hosts Japan in a shootout.

He said on Sunday he had not had any communication from New Zealand football for "quite some time".

"So ultimately, the ball's in their court and we'll just leave it there until they make contact."