Francis de Vries #3

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De Vries is valued not only for his outstanding defensive skills but also the grounded attitude and mentoring he brings to the squad. He’s had spells with MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps and Swedish club Värnamo but there’ve been setbacks too, prompting him to read up on sports psychology. He credits developing mental skills as helping his performance on the football pitch and has set up a business to help young players in this area. “Football is a teacher of skills that will help you in all areas of your life,” he told The Unused Subs podcast. “Football has to mean something more than results – that’s where real fulfilment, real connections come.” The philosophy is paying dividends in Auckland where fans chose him as Player of the Season in 2024-25 and for the All Whites where he is a regular starter.

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