The Wellington Phoenix are thrilled to have brought Paul Gothard back to the club.
Gothard, commonly known throughout football as ‘Goffy’, has been appointed the Phoenix’s head of goalkeeping on a two-year contract.
As part of the club-wide role he will be the men’s goalkeeper and set piece coach for the upcoming Isuzu UTE A-League, replacing Dylan Cope.
It follows Gothard’s successful two year stint at New Zealand Football (NZF) which culminated in being the All Whites goalkeeper coach at the FIFA World Cup 2026 in North America.
Before joining NZF, he was the Nix men’s goalkeeper coach for four seasons from 2018 to 2022 and helped develop a number of the club’s goalkeepers.
His appointment completes Chris Greenacre’s staff for the 2026-27 season.
“We’re delighted to have Goffy back,” Greenacre said. “He’s a terrific goalkeeper coach, he has vast amounts of experience and he’s obviously just got back from the World Cup.
“Goffy’s got a great reputation with the goalkeeper fraternity throughout New Zealand and around the world, and having his expertise is going to be crucial for us.
“We’ve got a young goalkeeper group and there’s no better coach to help develop those ‘keepers into top A-League players and future international footballers.
“Goffy’s also really bubbly and an infectious character, who’s popular amongst the staff and players.”
Paul Gothard has jumped at the opportunity to work with Greenacre again.
“How he wants to do things align with what I want out of the game and what I want to do,” Gothard said.
“I’ve got a really good relationship with him from my time at the Phoenix and we’ve always stayed in touch.
“The idea of working with Greeny was a really big push.”
Gothard got a taste of what it would be like being part of Greenacre’s staff having deputised as the men’s goalkeeper coach for the final weeks of the 2025-26 campaign.
“Being down here to work with the staff at the end of last season was brilliant.
“To be involved again and to be back on the grass every day was something I realised that I missed.
“It’s not a massive staff so everyone does a bit of everything, but no one moans and they all want the best for each other.
“From the outside coming in it was a really good environment to come into, and that’s what I want to try and build on.”
He wants to have an impact beyond the men’s team.
“We’ve got a young group of goalies at the Phoenix which is quite exciting because I think I can make a real difference.
“I want to make a difference with the goalkeeping pool we’ve got at the club, not just in the male space but across the female game from the academy up.
“As well as being the men’s goalkeeper and set piece coach, my role is to oversee the goalie coaches, support the academy goalkeepers that are coming through and really try and push them to try and get to the international level.
“It’s not just what they do on the field, it’s what they do off the field. Whether that’s what they’re eating, whether it’s the gym or whether it’s the support that they need. That’s the biggest part of being able to impact goalkeepers.
“It’s a really big role and one I’m looking forward to.”
Paul Gothard joins the previously announced Steve Coleman (lead assistant) and Luke Tongue (head analyst and second assistant) in Chris Greenacre’s coaching staff.
Operations manager Matt Hastings, head physical performance scientist Weijie Lim, head physiotherapist Grayson Harwood, equipment manager and assistant analyst Sebastian Bayliss and rehab physiotherapist Jamie Hassett complete the men’s off-field team.
Wellington Phoenix men’s staff for the 2026-27 season:
Head Coach | Chris Greenacre
Assistant Coach | Steve Coleman
Head of Goalkeeping | Paul Gothard
Head Analyst & Assistant Coach | Luke Tongue
Operations Manager | Matt Hastings
Head Physical Performance Scientist | Weijie Lim
Head Physiotherapist | Grayson Harwood
Equipment Manager & Assistant Analyst | Sebastian Bayliss
Rehab Physiotherapist | Jamie Hassett
