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AUCKLAND – World Cup All Whites Andy Barron and James Bannatyne have confirmed plans to step aside from all football.

Barron, a senior operations administrator for Westpac, and Bannatyne, a sales manager for Puma, both played for Team Wellington in the New Zealand Football Championship in recent years and were two of four amateur players in the All Whites squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

While Bannatyne didn’t take the field in South Africa – he and Glen Moss were left applauding the superlative form of goalkeeper Mark Paston – Barron come off the bench in the 1-1 draw against World Champions Italy, something he saw as a fitting note to end on.

“It was always my intention to retire after the World Cup, so I went in knowing that. I thought, `Why not go out on a high?’ I’m 30 this year so it’s as good a time as any,” Barron told the Dominion Post.

“It’s everyone’s dream, and to say I played in it now is just a huge thing that will always be there, that I can tell the grandkids about. It was just a massive time; awesome to be a part of it.”

 Barron, who turns 30 in December, made his All Whites debut against Malaysia in 2006, scoring the winning goal against the same opposition in a 2-1 victory just days later.

He went on to play 16 times for New Zealand, including 12 ‘A’ internationals.
Bannatyne, 35, played six matches (3 ‘A’ internationals) in goal for the All Whites, debuting against the Cook Islands in 2001. His last match for New Zealand was a training match against Chile in Nelspruit. Bannatyne plans to hang up his boots after playing his 100th game for Petone this weekend.

As part of a big weekend for football in the capital, Wellington City are honouring the All Whites in a parade that begins at Parliament at 12.30pm before winding its way to Civic square. Wellington Phoenix and Boca Juniors who meet on Friday night to headline the week, will also be part of the parade.