By Gary Caffell
The curriculum vitae of the latest newcomer to the Wairarapa United squad for their 2017 Central League campaign makes hugely impressive reading.
Cameron Lindsay, 25, is a defensive midfielder who played in all four matches for the New Zealand under-17s at the 2009 World Cup in Nigeria and also that season signed a four-year contract with English club, Blackburn Rovers, where he made 16 youth academy appearances.
In 2011 Lindsay travelled with the New Zealand under-20s to their World Cup in Colombia and signed with the Wellington Phoenix.
He did not actually get to play for them during the 2011-12 A-League season but signed a new two-year-deal with the club in April 2012.
Lindsay was selected to make his debut for the Phoenix in a round two fixture of the 2012 A-league but fell ill and finally made his debut three months later as a second half substitute against Melbourne Victory.
All told, he took the field for them on four occasions before being released in September 2013.
Lindsay had four games for the New Zealand under-23s in 2012 and was called into the All Whites for their World Cup qualifier against the Solomon Islands in 2013.
He also joined up with Team Wellington in the national league in 2013 and after playing one season for them he moved to Auckland and played for the then reigning champions Auckland City for two seasons.
This year has seen Lindsay as part of Tasman’s national league side where he has played alongside Paul Ifill, player-coach of Wairarapa United’s CL side for the past two seasons and part of their playing squad again in 2017 when the head coach will be Phil Keinzley.
It was Ifill who recommended to Keinzley that Lindsay could be a valuable acquisition for Wairarapa United and when Keinzley travelled to Nelson to watch him play, he was favourably impressed.
“He’s very strong and uncompromising, he’s the sort of defender who doesn’t give an inch,” Keinzley said of Lindsay.
“He’ll certainly add steel in that area.”
Wairarapa United have a tough start to their 2017 Central League schedule with their opening game on April 1 being against last year’s runners-up Miramar Rangers at home and then they will be away to the 2016 champions in Olympic before hosting the 2015 champions Napier City Rovers.
