Phoenix star set for huge move to French club

By Michael Burgess

All Whites and Wellington Phoenix midfielder Ben Old is set for a life-changing move to Europe, into one of the biggest leagues on the continent.

The 21-year-old had a breakout A-League season – one of the best performers in the Phoenix’s impressive 2023-24 campaign – and it has been noticed.

It’s believed that Old is close to agreeing terms with French Ligue 1 club St Etienne and will move after the Paris Olympics. Sources in France who are close to the club, when contacted by the Herald, said that the deal was “all but done”.

There may be some final paperwork to complete but it’s safe to assume Old will be playing for Les Verts (The Greens) next season. It will be another massive moment for New Zealand football, continuing the momentum created by transfers for Alex Paulsen (AFC Bournemouth) and Marko Stamenic (Nottingham Forest).

It’s an exciting, though unusual, destination. The only other Kiwi to play for a Ligue 1 club was Bill Tuiloma, who spent four years at Marseille between 2013 and 2017. It was a different journey, as Tuiloma signed as an 18-year-old, direct from local football with Birkenhead FC. He played 22 games for the reserve team but only made two appearances for the senior side.

Old is moving at a different stage, with 74 A-League games behind him, along with seven All Whites appearances. His form last season – with five goals and four assists - along with many other telling interventions sparked interest from numerous clubs, as his analytics and output couldn’t be ignored. It’s understood there have been enquiries from clubs in England (Championship and League One), Denmark, Holland and the United States (MLS).

St Etienne have a storied history. They have been champions of France on 10 occasions (the last time in 1981) and they also reached the 1976 European Cup final, while Michel Platini is among their former players.

Just promoted back to Ligue 1, the club is seen as a sleeping giant. They have recently been taken over by Kilmer Sports Ventures, the huge conglomerate behind Toronto FC, the Toronto Raptors (NBA) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL). That move installed former Arsenal and AC Milan chief executive Ivan Gazidis as club president, indicative of their lofty ambitions, while legendary Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is also involved in the project.

Sources in France indicated St Etienne have been tracking Old for some time, searching for a winger with his characteristics. While it will be a significant step up from the A-League, they obviously feel he can make the grade. There will be a settling-in period but Old will be expected to get game time from the first season.

He is a unique talent, with his pace, close control and ability to beat players, with Michael McGarry the only comparable Kiwi player from the modern era. There will be physical, tactical and technical adaptation needed, while it will also be challenging off the field, as only two players in the current St Etienne don’t have French as their first language, while the coach and most of his staff are also Francophones.

Old is currently in Vanuatu, one of the standouts for the All Whites in their run to the Oceania Nations Cup final, where they will face the home side on Sunday (4pm).

”It’s been an amazing experience,” Old told the Herald. “It’s a completely new challenge – I hadn’t been to the Islands since the Under-17 World Cup qualifiers [in 2018]. I’m learning a lot as a player and being able to get more game time than usual is amazing.”

Old has enjoyed the atmosphere – “it’s a cool experience” - and also notched his first All Whites goal in the 4-0 group win over Vanuatu.

”It was a great ball from Eli [Just],” said Old. “My first in an All Whites shirt and hopefully many more to come.”

With his focus currently on the tournament, Old didn’t want to discuss the specifics of a possible European move, though admitted there had been interest from multiple clubs. He said the critical factor in making his potential decision was opportunity.

”The biggest thing for me is finding somewhere which I’m going to be able to play,” said Old. “That’s the most important thing; I have to take my ego out of it and not just go for the biggest and best deal if it’s not somewhere that I’m going to get the opportunity to play and showcase myself and develop.”

Asked – hypothetically – how he would feel about playing in France and dealing with a significant language barrier, compared to England, Northern Europe or the MLS, Old was unequivocal.

”It will be definitely a new challenge if that’s the route I take,” said Old. “But I really like the challenge aspect of going somewhere where they don’t speak English and hopefully being able to learn another language, which is something I’d love to do. And often the football does the talking. Although it would be difficult with the lifestyle, if I can play well with my football, everything else would fall into place.”

He has also been inspired by the recent transfers of Phoenix teammate and close friend Paulsen, along with All Whites contemporary Stamenic.

”It shows that the pathways are there,” said Old. “They are looking in the A-League and that if you work hard and perform well, then anything’s possible. It’s very, very motivating because in the past, it obviously feels like we’re so far away from everyone being in New Zealand.”

When contacted by the Herald, the Phoenix issued the following statement:

“We don’t comment on transfer speculation, but there has been significant interest in Ben Old as a result of his performances [last] season.”

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission