The Wellington Phoenix have moved quickly to secure one of the stars of New Zealand’s FIFA U-17 World Cup qualifying campaign.
The Phoenix have signed Hamilton Wanderers winger Luke Brooke-Smith on a three-year contract, the first two years of which are on scholarship terms.
Brooke-Smith, 16, was one of New Zealand’s standouts at the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship in Tahiti, scoring five goals, including a hat-trick against Fiji in pool play.
Before heading away with the national team he trialled with the Nix and caught the eye of head coach Giancarlo Italiano.
“Luke has attributes that are already commonplace for a lot of our established players,” Italiano said.
“He has explosiveness and he’s very good with the ball.
“He poses a real threat every time he’s in possession, and I like that because it means he’s dangerous and hard to defend.
“I was also impressed with how much Luke improved in the time he spent in our environment. That made me believe the range of development that he can achieve in the next year to two years is going to be significant.”
Luke Brooke-Smith didn’t expect to sign his first professional contract so soon.
“In school I had to write down what my aim was, and it was to sign a scholarship at a professional club by the end of the season coming, around May next year,” Brooke-Smith said. “To get the call so early, I’m kind of in shock.
“I got back from training, and my dad and Ricki Herbert both messaged me saying can I give you a call, we’ve got good news.
“My dad told me the Phoenix have offered me a professional contract. I thought he was joking around. I just started walking around in circles. My heart was beating.”
Originally from Whangārei, he moved to Cambridge in 2020 to pursue his dream of becoming an Olympic BMX rider.
The eight-time national age-group BMX champion was also part of the RH3 Football Academy, headed by former Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert, and Brooke-Smith started turning heads on the pitch too.
He made his senior debut for Cambridge FC just 18 days after his 15th birthday and joined Hamilton Wanderers this year in the Northern League.
“Last year making my debut in men’s football was one of the seasons I learnt the most.
“Taking that one step further this year to the Northern League, the best league in New Zealand that’s not professional, I’ve learnt so much.
“Not just with the ball, but the maturity without the ball and being involved with adults.
“That atmosphere’s set me up to be in a similar atmosphere at the Phoenix where it’s adults and I’m going to be the youngest. It’s taught me to be quite mature.”
Brooke-Smith is looking forward to showcasing his talent in the A-League.
“I think my best attribute is one-on-one abilities down the wing. I love getting the ball and bringing life to the game.
“I hate watching players who slow the game down when it’s not needed, or don’t have the confidence to take players on.
“My biggest strength is getting the ball and doing what’s best for the team, creating a chance or scoring and assisting.”
Those attributes are what Ricki Herbert believes make Luke Brooke-Smith unique.
“Luke’s a super talented boy. He’s very attacking and very quick.
“He can play on either side and is very positive in what he does going forward.
“Luke’s also super professional to say the least. He’s an excellent trainer, hugely resilient, and just somebody who’s had a real focus on wanting to be the best footballer he can.
“I’m delighted to see that he’s moving into his first professional contract at the Wellington Phoenix.”
Brooke-Smith is the 18th player in the Phoenix men’s first team squad for the upcoming A-League season, with the club to make further signings in the coming weeks.
