Wellington Phoenix midfielder Daniel has declared he wants to play for New Zealand. The Brazilian gained his NZ citizenship on December 1 and immediately set his sights on the All Whites.

"When he first came out to play for the Phoenix it was almost a tongue-in-cheek comment, that he should play for New Zealand," All Whites boss Ricki Herbert said. "But Daniel took it on board and clearly thought about it. The process started more than a year ago.

"It would be great if he could play for us. He's a great guy and a very, very good player."