Temple was head coach of the Young Football Ferns when New Zealand hosted the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2008 and then served as Readings’ assistant in the U-20 set-up for the 2010 campaign in Germany.
Temple says the experience across both camps will serve him well as he builds a new side for the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Azerbaijan.
“We’ve had a conveyor belt of young players coming out of age-group teams into the senior environment in the last five years and the main focus of my role is to make sure that continues,” Temple says.
“Working in both the U-17 and U-20 environments certainly helps in identifying the type of young player who can step up to higher levels.”
Temple’s first task will be assembling a pool of players – drawn largely from NZF’s National Talent Centres – to work towards the OFC U-17 Women’s Championship pencilled in for early next year.
The road to the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Uzbekistan, which also begins with Oceania qualifiers in early 2012, will be Readings’ second campaign in the lead coaching role, although he previously served a three-year term as U-20 assistant coach and is the current assistant to Football Ferns coach John Herdman.
“The integration between the three women’s national teams has been vital with the number of players graduating into the Football Ferns in recent years,” Readings says.
“At age-group level, my role will be to develop players capable of representing, and winning games for, New Zealand at senior level.”
Readings will have six players from the 2010 campaign eligible to compete again and will add to that core from the last U-17 group as well as casting a closer eye over some standout performers from the ASB Women’s Youth League.
New Zealand Football board member Fred de Jong, who sat on the interview panel, says the calibre of applicants was very high.
“Ultimately, the campaign experience of Tony and Paul shone through in the interview process and we now have the opportunity to pair them up with other candidates who have shown they have the experience or skills to complement those head coach appointments,” de Jong says.
New Zealand Football has begun the process of appointing assistant coaches and would not be seeking new applicants.
Story courtesy of New Zealand Football.
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