Wellington, New Zealand - Tampa Bay midfielder Jeremy Christie has been chosen in a New Zealand World Cup squad that will be led by Blackburn Rovers' defender Ryan Nelsen in South Africa.
Christie, who joined FC Tampa Bay this season after playing most of his career in New Zealand, was included Monday in a 23-man squad containing 12 overseas-based players and two new caps: Denmark-based defender Winston Reid and young local midfielder Aaron Clapham.
"Jeremy has always been on the radar and I have kept in close contact with his coach at Tampa Bay," New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert said. "He has gone offshore to challenge himself and that has been good for him ... we believe he will offer a great deal to the squad."
Preliminary 30-man squads for the World Cup must be submitted to Fifa by Tuesday, and the final 23-man squads by June 1.
Nelsen, 32, is one of five England-based players in the New Zealand squad. The others are Ipswich Town defender Tommy Smith and strikers Chris Killen of Middlesbrough, Chris Wood of West Bromwich Albion and Rory Fallon of West Bromwich Albion.
Clapham has won his first international call up after being named New Zealand's domestic player of the year.
"Aaron has come into this group and looked very comfortable," Herbert said. "He is the type of player that should be around the international scene for many years and he has a big future in the professional game."
Reid, 22, plays for the Danish club FC Midtjylland but has switched allegiance to New Zealand after representing Denmark at under-19, under-20 and under-21 level.
Only one player from the 18-man squad which clinched qualification for the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Bahrain in an intercontinental playoff series in November - New Zealand-based Aaron Scott - has missed selection.
David Mulligan, who has not played club football this season after being released by his Wellington Phoenix A-League team, has held his international place.
"David has been a victim of circumstances at the Phoenix where other players have come in and played well, keeping him out of the team," Herbert said. "He has never stopped working hard, however, and his attitude has been first-class."
The New Zealand squad will assemble in Auckland on May 19 for a warmup match against Australia at Melbourne on May 24. The team will then travel to Austria for a pre-World Cup camp and matches against Serbia and Slovenia, before arriving in South Africa on June 6.
At their first World Cup appearance since 1982, New Zealand will play defending champion Italy, Paraguay and Slovakia in Group F.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Mark Paston (Wellington Phoenix), Glen Moss (Melbourne Victory), James Bannatyne (Team Wellington).
Defenders: Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn Rovers, England, captain), Ivan Vicelich (Auckland City), Ben Sigmund (Wellington Phoenix), Winston Reid (FC Midtjylland, Denmark), Tommy Smith (Ipswich Town, England), Tony Lochhead (Wellington Phoenix), Andy Boyens (New York Red Bulls, United States).
Midfielders: Simon Elliott (unattached), Tim Brown (Wellington Phoenix), Leo Bertos (Wellington Phoenix), Michael McGlinchey (Motherwell, Scotland), Aaron Clapham (Canterbury United), David Mulligan (unattached), Jeremy Brockie (Newcastle Jets), Andy Barron (Team Wellington), Jeremy Christie (FC Tampa Bay, United States).
Strikers: Chris Killen (Middlesbrough, England), Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast United), Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion, England), Rory Fallon (Plymouth Argyle, England). - Sapa-AP