Logan Rogerson is determined to make the most of the international lifeline hes been handed by All Whites coach Danny Hay.

The 23-year-old has been recalled to the national mens football team for the first time since 2016 for their coming friendlies against Jordan and Uzbekistan and has a chance to put himself in the frame for World Cup qualifying later this year.

Rogerson made his debut against Oman in 2015 under Anthony Hudson, shortly after playing under Hay at that years Fifa Under-17 World Cup, alongside four of his current squad-mates Joe Bell, Callum McCowatt, Sarpreet Singh, and Michael Woud.

Two more caps followed at the Oceania Nations Cup the following year, when a host of All Whites regulars were missing, but since then, hes been in the wilderness.

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In 2016, he was with the Wellington Phoenix, where he ended up making 11 A-League appearances, five of which were in his last two months at the club.

Despite scoring twice once he was finally given a chance, he wasnt handed a new contract at the end of the 2017-18 season, and headed to Germany for an injury-hit and ultimately unsuccessful stint at third-tier club Carl Zeiss Jena.

After returning to New Zealand, Rogerson spent two summers at Auckland City in New Zealands old national league, before signing for HJK Helsinki in Finlands top-tier Veikkausliiga last April.

A shoulder injury limited his ability to make an impact there and hampered his chances of pushing for a place in the OlyWhites squad for the Tokyo Olympics but a loan move to FC Haka gave him a new lease of life, and, in the end, a full-time deal for 2022.

The move that he made to go back to Europe after having not a great experience in Germany was a brave one, and I think that says a lot about him as a person and his character, Hay said this week.

By his own admission, he probably wasn't on top of his game when he first got back there, but having watched him at the back end of last season on multiple occasions, he's really found his feet.

Rogerson said having the backing of FC Haka coach Teemu Tainio, a former player for Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League, had been a boost down the stretch of the last Veikkausliiga season.

Shane Wenzlick/Photosport

Logan Rogerson found his feet while playing for Auckland City, before moving back to Europe last April.

I think that playing regularly is what every footballer needs and I kind of didn't get that at HJK.

Once I found the club and the coach that had belief in me and would give me game time, I knew that everything would come after that.

At the Phoenix, I didn't play that much, and when I went to Germany it was the same story and I come back to Auckland City, played a bit, found my feet, went to Helsinki, things didn't work out there, but now I'm at Haka where Im getting a lot of game time.

I think thats been a problem for me, just finding regular minutes, but once I get those minutes, I know what I'm capable of and that I can show everyone what I can do and what kind of footballer I can be.

Rogerson last represented New Zealand in 2019, where he captained the team that won the Oceania Under-23 Championship to qualify the country for the Tokyo Olympics.

But after failing to make his HJK debut after arriving in Finland last April, playing just one half for their reserves before August, he didnt make the cut when Hay put together his squad and reserves for the Olympic football tournament last July, and had to watch from afar as the OlyWhites made it to the quarterfinals before losing to hosts Japan in a penalty shootout.

Obviously Danny had to pick a squad of players that were playing regularly and that just wasn't me at the time, Rogerson said.

It was hard for me to watch the Olympics and not be a part of it, but I think of it as a bit of character building. I went out on loan, found game time, and now here I am. Things kind of happen for a reason, I guess.

Rogerson knows making an All Whites squad for the first time since June 2016 one of the longer waits in the teams history is just the first step.

Now he has to earn the chance to add to his three caps by impressing Hay once the team assembles in camp in Abu Dhabi next week.

The thing about Logan is he offers some dynamic movement, Hay said.

He's very good dribbler with the ball at his feet, and he looks to break lines, so he offers some similar characteristics to Joey Champness, and it just gives us a little bit of a different look, if we decide to go with a front three and two proper, out-and-out wingers.

I could also see Logan playing alongside Woodsy in a front two as well you're getting somebody that definitely wants to break lines and work in behind.

After they play Jordan [kickoff Saturday 4am NZ time] and Uzbekistan [kickoff Wednesday, February 2, 4am NZ time], the All Whites have the Oceania World Cup qualifying tournament in Qatar in March, which starts prior to that months international window, the period where players have to be released from their clubs.

With the new Veikkausliiga season not set to begin until April, Rogerson is one of a handful of players who wont have any fixture clashes in mid-March, which could be a feather in his cap as he looks to ensure his long-awaited return to the national side isnt a one-off.

It's a going to be a big year for the All Whites and for New Zealand football with the World Cup at the end of this year and qualifying and intercontinental playoff, Rogerson said.

As a footballer, it's not just a straight kind of journey, it's up and down and side to side. I think that's been my footballing journey, but I love being a footballer and playing football, so every obstacle that's been in front of me, I've had to work my way through it.

Hopefully this year can be a good year for me. I'm looking forward to it.

Read the rest here:

Logan Rogerson back in the All Whites after five years away and plenty of perseverance - Stuff.co.nz