Ben Sigmund

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Ben Sigmund

| image = Ben Sigmund.jpg

| image_size = 150

| caption = Sigmund playing for Wellington Phoenix in 2008

| fullname = Benjamin Robert Sigmund

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|2|3|df=y}}

| birth_place = Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand

| height = 1.87 m

| position = Centre Back

| youthyears1 = –1998 |youthclubs1 = Christchurch United

| years1 = 1998–2002 |clubs1 = Christchurch United{{cite web |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/3060167/All-Whites-pair-united-by-Christchurch |title=All Whites pair united by Christchurch |author=Smith, Tony |date=13 November 2009 |publisher=Stuff |access-date=19 September 2011}} |caps1 = 76 |goals1 = 14

| years2 = 2003–2004 |clubs2 = Football Kingz |caps2 = 1 |goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2004–2006 |clubs3 = Canterbury United |caps3 = 83 |goals3 = 7

| years4 = 2006 |clubs4 = Fawkner Blues |caps4 = 11 |goals4 = 1

| years5 = 2006–2008 |clubs5 = Auckland City |caps5 = 43 |goals5 = 5

| years6 = 2008–2016 |clubs6 = Wellington Phoenix |caps6 = 181 |goals6 = 7

| years7 = 2016 |clubs7 = Wellington Phoenix Reserves |caps7 = 1 |goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2016 |clubs8 = Cashmere Technical |caps8 = |goals8 =

| totalcaps = | totalgoals =

| nationalyears1 = 1999

| nationalyears2 =

| nationalyears3 = 2000–2014

| nationalteam1 = New Zealand U17

| nationalteam2 = New Zealand U20

| nationalteam3 = New Zealand

| nationalcaps1 = 3

| nationalcaps2 = 12

| nationalcaps3 = 31

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalgoals3 = 2

}}

Benjamin Robert Sigmund (born 3 February 1981{{Soccerway|ben-sigmund/22232}}) is a New Zealand former international footballer. He represented New Zealand at under-17, under-20 and senior level.

Club career

Born in Blenheim, Sigmund spent his early career with Football Kingz, Canterbury United, Fawkner Blues and Auckland City. He signed for the Wellington Phoenix in 2008.{{Cite web |url=http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/73487,phoenix-sign-sigmund-as-final-defender.aspx |title=Phoenix Sign Sigmund As Final Defender |access-date=8 April 2008 |archive-date=4 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104055729/http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/73487,phoenix-sign-sigmund-as-final-defender.aspx |url-status=dead }} On 9 July 2012 he signed a two-year contract extension keep him with the club until 2015.{{Cite web |url=http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/a-league/news/1112586/Sigmund-extends-Phoenix-stay |title=Sigmund extends Phoenix stay : A League : The World Game on SBS |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121230232424/http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/a-league/news/1112586/Sigmund-extends-Phoenix-stay |archive-date=30 December 2012 |url-status=dead}}

On 18 December 2015, Sigmund announced that he would retire from professional football at the end of the season.{{cite news|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/75252917/wellington-phoenix-defender-ben-sigmund-to-retire-at-end-of-aleague-season|title=Wellington Phoenix defender Ben Sigmund to retire at end of A-League season|publisher=Stuff|first=Hamish|last=Bidwell|date=18 December 2015}}{{cite news|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/78710712/ben-sigmunds-colourful-professional-football-career-comes-to-an-end|title=Ben Sigmund's colourful professional football career comes to an end|publisher=Stuff|first=Liam|last=Hyslop|date=8 April 2016}}

He subsequently joined amateur side Cashmere Technical in 2016.{{cite news|url=http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/sigmund-looks-to-sign-off-with-cup-glory/|title=Sigmund looks to sign off with cup glory|publisher=Football New Zealand|access-date=24 June 2016|date=24 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160626111823/http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/sigmund-looks-to-sign-off-with-cup-glory/|archive-date=26 June 2016|url-status=dead}}

International career

Sigmund made his senior international debut as a substitute in August 2000 against Oman, but did not earn a second cap until 2007,{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/NZRepSoccer/id1559.htm|title=A-International Lineups|publisher=The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website|access-date=12 February 2009}} where he earned a call up to play Wales in Wrexham after nearly seven years in the football wilderness.

On 6 September 2008 Sigmund scored his first international goal in a 3–1 win over New Caledonia with a header from a corner.

Sigmund was named as part of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup New Zealand squad to travel to South Africa,{{cite web|url=http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofcnewsdetails/new-zealand---all-whites-name-squad-for-fifa-confederations-cup|title=New Zealand – All Whites name Confederations Cup squad|publisher=Oceania Football confederation|date=7 May 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090624071249/http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofcnewsdetails/new-zealand---all-whites-name-squad-for-fifa-confederations-cup|archive-date=24 June 2009|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/teams/team=43978/squadlist.html|title=2009 Confederations Cup – New Zealand squad|publisher=FIFA|access-date=9 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090613002745/http://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/teams/team%3D43978/squadlist.html|archive-date=13 June 2009|url-status=dead}} and was more recently in the side the beat Bahrain in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification match on 14 November 2009.

On 10 May 2010, Sigmund was named in New Zealand's final 23-man squad to compete at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.{{cite news|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-cup/3676399/All-Whites-World-Cup-squad-named|title=All Whites World Cup squad named|publisher=Stuff|access-date=10 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100603071055/http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-cup/3676399/All-Whites-World-Cup-squad-named|archive-date=3 June 2010|url-status=live}}

On 29 September 2014, Sigmund retired from international football citing his desire to spend more time with his family.{{cite web|url=http://www.wellingtonphoenix.com/article/sigmund-calls-time-on-all-whites-career/1o9mtbn38776r1uumymcx8j7nn|title=Sigmund Calls Time on All Whites Career|first=Russell|last=Gray|publisher=Football Federation Australia|date=29 September 2014}}

Honours

Personal Honours:

Wellington Phoenix Member's Player of the Year: 2008–2009{{cite web|url=http://www.wellingtonphoenix.com/default.aspx?s%3Daleague_newsdisplay%26id%3D26606 |title=News Display |access-date=2009-08-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110301024959/http://www.wellingtonphoenix.com/default.aspx?s=aleague_newsdisplay&id=26606 |archive-date=1 March 2011 }}

References

External links

[https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/107374705/former-all-white-ben-sigmund-lends-helping-hand-to-kiwi-kids Ben Sigmund Interview]
{{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718025744/http://www.wellingtonphoenix.com/default.aspx?s=wellfc_playerprofile_item&pid=1635 |date=18 July 2011 |title=Wellington Phoenix profile }}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120508211049/http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/index.php?id=317 NZF – All White profile]
{{FIFA player|195256}}
{{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100630030222/http://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/players/player%3D195256/profile.html |date=30 June 2010 |title=Confederation Cup profile }}

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Category:1981 births

Category:Living people

Category:New Zealand men's association footballers

Category:New Zealand men's international footballers

Category:Canterbury United Dragons players

Category:Football Kingz FC players