Capped 20 times, Christie hardly got a mention as a contender in the lead-up to the naming of the All Whites squad, but he was a notable inclusion when coach Ricki Herbert revealed his 23 last week.
"I guess I was bolter for a lot of the media here," he said.
"I always thought I was in with a chance. I've been in the squad a lot over the past few years, I've gone back to a fulltime professional league and I've been playing 90 minutes every week, so I hoped I was still in the mix."
Christie's CV includes stints will all three New Zealand clubs who have played in Australasian competitions -- the Kingz, the Knights and the Wellington Phoenix.
After being released by the Phoenix at the end of the 2008-9 A-League season, he had a few games for Waitakere United in the New Zealand Football Championship.
However, Christie, who has also had stints with English club Barnsley and with Perth Glory, felt he had to go back overseas to get his professional career back on track.
He got a call from British-based All Whites teammate Chris Killen, who told him that a friend, Paul Dalglish, the son of Liverpool and Scotland great Kenny Dalglish, was coach at the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
"Chris asked me if I was interested and he put me in touch with Paul," Christie said.
"I spoke to him and he offered me a deal. I was impressed with the set-up. I had a few things in the works and Tampa was the best fit."
The original Tampa Bay Rowdies operated from 1975 to 1993 and among their most notable players were England international Rodney Marsh and Brazilian World Cup winner Clodoaldo.
Another old boy is Sam Allardyce, now manager of English Premier League side Blackburn Rovers, All Whites skipper Ryan Nelsen's club.
The new Rowdies are in the middle of their inaugural season in a competition that is a tier below Major League Football and Christie has been operating as a defensive midfielder.
"It's probably not as tactical as the A-League," he said.
"A lot of the guys are good athletes and it's 100mph for 90 minutes, but it's good to try out these different styles."
The Rowdies' ground, the 8000-seater George M Steinbrenner Field, is named after the owner of the New York Yankees.
It is where the baseball franchise holds its annual spring training and a section of the diamond forms part of the football pitch.
"Tampa Bay Rowdies was a massive club in the 1970s and when they went everyone there missed professional football," Christie said.
"The reaction of Tampa since we've been back has been amazing. There's a really good fan base and we sold out our first home game."
The All Whites head across the Tasman tomorrow to prepare for a pre-World Cup match against Australia, and the day will be doubly significant for Christie, being his 27th birthday.
He was optimistic about his chances of getting game time in Melbourne on Monday night and in the World Cup itself.
"Obviously I want to play," he said.
"I'm not going to make up numbers and I imagine everyone in the squad will be the same. I'm glad to be involved and I want us to be successful. Hopefully I can play a big part in it."
