Andrew Barron (footballer)


Andrew Barron is a retired New Zealand association football player. Barron, naturally a central midfielder last played for Team Wellington in the New Zealand Football Championship and was also an All White who played at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, making him one of very few amateur All Whites in recent years.
On 20 July 2010: Andy Barron, the New Zealand investment banker who was the only amateur player to take the field at the World Cup, has retired from all football.
Midfielder Barron played the last four minutes of New Zealand's 1–1 draw with Italy, receiving international attention as an odd man out among the world's highest-paid footballers.

Club career

Barron signed for Canterbury United, a New Zealand Football Championship franchise at the start of the 2005–06 season. After impressing making 15 appearances and scoring one goal, he was scouted by other NZFC club Team Wellington for the following season and scored four goals in 12 appearances in a central midfield play-maker role.
In 2008, Barron went in search of a professional career overseas and signed with the Minnesota Thunder of the USL First Division, however after struggling to make an impact, he returned to New Zealand to play for Team Wellington midway through the NZFC 2008–09 season. Barron has made 34 appearances and scored 12 goals both stints with the Wellington club.

International career

Barron made his debut for the New Zealand national football team in the first match of a two-game friendly series against Malaysia on 19 February 2006. Barron scored his first international goal in the second match of the Malaysian series with an 88th-minute strike to seal a 2–1 win for the All Whites.
Barron was included in the New Zealand squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa, along with fellow non-professionals James Bannatyne and Aaron Scott, and was recently part of the All Whites team which beat Bahrain in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification play-off match. During the 2010 FIFA world cup, he made the headlines when he featured in a game as a late substitute, against Italy, notably being the only non-professional footballer to participate in the tournament. Barron combines full-time employment as an investment counselor with semi-professional football in New Zealand's football championship.

Career statistics