Solid: Ryan Nelsen will be a key asset in New Zealand's back four if they are to impress in their first World Cup finals since 1982

One of the best footballers ever to come from New Zealand, the Blackburn Rovers captain has been the mainstay of the ‘All Whites’ defence for a decade.

Christchurch-born Nelsen was a talented cricketer as a junior, but took up a football scholarship at California’s Stanford University and began his career in Major League Soccer.

He was signed by Blackburn in 2005 and despite persistent hamstring problems, his dependable displays, which contributed to Uefa Cup qualification and two FA Cup semi-finals in three seasons, were rewarded with the club captaincy and a new five-year contract in 2007.

He made his international debut in 1999, but has been restricted to 41 caps due to injury, and did not play a game for his country between 2004 and 2008. He returned in time for the World Cup qualifying campaign, which saw New Zealand brush aside a succession of Pacific island nations to top their group and earn a two-legged play-off with Bahrain.

Nelsen’s performance in the goalless first leg in the heat of Manama was heroic, and a 1-0 victory in the return game in Wellington a month later was enough to secure qualification.

Nelsen’s shepherding of the back three will be instrumental if New Zealand are to avoid embarrassment in their first World Cup since 1982.