London: Ryan Nelsen will play his last match for Queens Park Rangers against Manchester City next week before taking over as full-time coach of Major League Soccer (MLS) club Toronto FC from February 1, the 35-year-old defender said yesterday.
Nelsen was named Toronto coach last month.The New Zealander, who has also quit international soccer, will bow out of the English Premier League on Saturday.
“We had a talk and we needed to give QPR as much time as possible to bring in a replacement or sort their things out,” Nelsen said on Toronto’s website (www.torontofc.ca).
“If they knew I was leaving earlier, it would have been harder in the transfer window,” added the player, whose one-year contract with QPR was to expire in June.
Nelsen said he had also conveyed his decision to quit international football to New Zealand Football.
“I spoke with NZF Chairman Frank van Hattum and All Whites coach Ricki Herbert earlier today to personally confirm my decision to retire from international football,” he added.
Nelsen retires with the All Whites poised to qualify for November’s intercontinental playoff against the fourth-best team from North and Central America, with the winner advancing to the 2014 World Cup finals. REUTERS
