Wellington Phoenix midfielder Alex Rufer has paid tribute to victims of the Christchurch terror attacks.
The Hyundai A-League and wider footballing community has been united in support for New Zealand following the tragedy last week.
And the 22-year-old Kiwi, a breakout player for the Phoenix this season, dedicated last Sunday’s 3-1 win over Western Sydney Wanderers to the victims of the attacks.
“It’s such a horrible thing to happen. It’s a real shame,” said Rufer.
“But we’ve come together, we’ve stayed strong and that game last week was for Christchurch, for New Zealand and for all the families that were affected.
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All Whites midfielder Rufer has been in stellar touch for Mark Rudan’s side this season and signed a one-year contract extension in February.
He has made 20 appearances for the fourth-placed Phoenix, who currently sit fourth and are in the box seat for a home final.
“We want to finish in the top four, we want a home final, that’s the goal,” said Rufer.
“But now we’re pushing onto [Melbourne] Victory and hopefully we can catch up to them and put pressure on them.”
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Phoenix head into the international break full of confidence having tallied 11 goals in two games following the win over the Wanderers and Round 21’s 8-2 hammering of Central Coast Mariners.
It’s why Rufer believes Rudan will have a few selection conundrums when the Hyundai A-League kicks back into gear for Round 23.
“There’s going to be a bit of a headache for Mark to choose the [team] next game and I think that’s really good because it shows that we have a really strong squad,” Rufer said.
“Healthy competition keeps you on your toes, it’s always good knowing there’s people breathing down your neck for a spot and I think it just shows the type of team that we’ve got this year.”
