Andy Boyens will look back proudly on his professional career despite lingering feelings it ended too soon.
The Kavanagh College old boy is back in Otago for a month with wife Claire and daughters Harriet (2) and Alice (8 weeks).
His towering frame looks match-ready but Boyens, who played for four different teams in Major League Soccer and was capped 19 times by the All Whites, is now focused on a budding coaching career.
''I hung up the boots at the end of last year,'' Boyens said.
''It was all very quiet. I didn't want to make a big deal out of it.
''I'm not officially retired, I guess. But I've stopped playing for now and I'm not actively seeking a club.
''If we come back to New Zealand in the next couple of years, which we're potentially looking at, I'd love to play here, maybe in the national league. But it depends on opportunities in the States.''
Boyens (30) played for Dunedin Technical and national age-group sides as a central defender before heading to the University of New Mexico, where he was named a first-team All-American.
He was nabbed in the first round of the MLS draft and played for Toronto FC, the New York Red Bulls, Chivas USA and the Los Angeles Galaxy, where a team-mate was one David Beckham.
But football is a tough business, and eventually the doors close. Boyens feels a mix of regret and satisfaction as he reflects on his playing career.
''You have to make decisions based on where you are in your life. I have a family that's growing, and it didn't make sense to kind of chase the game around the world.
''At the time I definitely thought I wanted to play for another year or two. I loved playing and still had a passion for it. But it was time to make a decision.
''I get the itch every now and again but am very content with what I'm doing. And I can look back with really fond memories on my playing days. I'm pretty proud of what I achieved.
''Not a lot of New Zealand players actually go and play in professional leagues around the world. To be one of them is something to be proud of.''
Boyens accepted an offer to work at the Los Angeles Galaxy academy. He is the head of one junior team's coaching staff and assists with another.
The players are talented - a handful are American age-group representatives - and expectations are high. Boyens is enjoying the role more than he expected and is learning at a rapid pace.
Boyens, with the help of FootballSouth, RD1 and Meadow Fresh, has been running a summer football camp for 72 players aged 8 to 14 from around the South.
