Image source, Getty Images
Tommy Smith spent a season for Auckland City as the club's vice-captain before moving to Braintree Town last year
ByMatthew CresswellBBC Sport England and Warren MuggletonBBC Radio Essex
Braintree Town defender Tommy Smith is looking forward to the "crowning glory of his career" as he prepares to participate in his second World Cup, 16 years on from playing for New Zealand in South Africa in 2010.
The former Ipswich Town and Colchester United defender, 36, has been selected in the All Whites' 26-man squad by head coach Darren Bazeley, and has been acclimatising to his new surroundings after the squad flew out to Florida last month.
New Zealand are in Group G, along with Belgium, Egypt and Iran, and will be based in San Diego during the tournament with their first match taking place in Los Angeles against Iran on 16 June.
Before their first warm-up match against Haiti at Inter Miami's Chase Stadium on Wednesday (01:00 BST), Smith - who was born in Macclesfield but spent much of his youth living in New Zealand - is ready to test himself once again against the world's best.
"I'm 36 years old now, and realistically this is not going to happen again for me as a player, so, I'm just trying to embrace every moment, enjoy it, contribute as much as I possibly can, and enjoy the whole experience," Smith told BBC Radio Essex.
"I grew up in New Zealand and the connection you feel to the place if you've lived there is a special one and it's something that I've never taken for granted.
"There's been times in the past where it wasn't as powerful as it is now, the pull to come and play for New Zealand.
"Under the regime and the previous regime, they've really made it a special environment to come into which makes everyone want to turn up every single time and give it their absolute best."
Having spent a year at Auckland City last season - in which they finished the domestic season league leaders - but lost in the semi-finals of the A-League Finals series to Melbourne Victory, Smith returned to England last August to turn out for Braintree.
It was not an easy year for Smith as The Iron were relegated from the National League, finishing the season second-bottom, and are now preparing for life in the sixth tier of the English game.
Preparing to compete against players including Mo Salah, Jeremy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne later this month, Smith said: "We understand the stature of players that we're coming up against and we know we're the underdogs and hopefully we can use that to our advantage.
"I'd like to think some of these teams won't be taking us lightly, and won't be seeing us a soft touch - because if they do, hopefully, they'll be in for a rude awakening.
"But as players, you want to test yourselves against the best players in the world, and we've got young, hungry, ambitious players that want to kick on in their careers, and there's no better place to do that than at the World Cup and with the whole world watching."
Image source, Getty Images
Tommy Smith has been selected in head coach Darren Bazeley's "leadership group" among the 26-man playing squad for this summer's World Cup
Smith played every minute of New Zealand's 2010 World Cup campaign, in which they were the only undefeated team at the tournament, despite not making it out of the group.
The All Whites drew all three matches with Slovakia, Paraguay and most notoriously with then-holders Italy to finish third in Group F, missing out on progressing to the knockout stage by a single point.
"The goal all along is to get out of the group stage, make it to the knockout phase," Smith said.
"We finished third in the group then [in 2010], this time around the best third-placed teams will go through, so we have a chance if we get one positive result."
Back at home Smith is undecided where his career will take him next, now out of contract at Braintree, and with players still owed wages.
"Us as players, haven't been paid for the last month, and I think the owner is just trying to find investors to get the money together to pay the debts they owe.
"The fans deserve better, and they deserve a club functioning and challenging to the top end of the league next season.
"I'm out of contract so I've said to Steve [Pitt - Braintree manager] we'll see how the land lies after the World Cup - obviously all my focus is on this at the moment.
"I need to sit back and take stock, I've had a long career in the game and whether or not I want to finish it at the World Cup, I haven't made that final decision yet."
