I had always known I wanted to be a manager. I completed the first level of training when I was 29, and by the time I was 34 I had all my badges. Then, when you start, you realise if it is for you or not. In my case, it was a definite yes. I still remember when I finished my first training session as a manager. It felt impressive. I felt good.

Joining the national team set-up at Under-18 level, I knew I had all the resources I needed to be a manager. I also knew I could train these boys as professionals, because they were the best the country had in that age group. They were already in the first-team squads for their respective clubs; they knew what a professional environment was, and they were in the penultimate national age group before the full senior squad. For me, it was like working with professionals, so that’s how we did it. It was also a long-term project that gave me time to develop ideas and my style as a manager.

“We selected well – players who had a thirst for victory, who were prepared to die for each other and their country”

As a group, we worked together for three years in the run-up to the Under-20 World Cup in 2015. It was easy to prepare the team, because they all knew everything that was needed. It was about being careful with our communication and not overdoing it, as the players were all with their clubs. The key was the work we had done over the previous three years.

The important thing was to get together in plenty of time. First in Serbia, where we went to bed in line with New Zealand time to adapt to the 12-hour time difference. Then we travelled there 12 days before the start of the World Cup, which was just enough time to adjust: one day for each hour of difference.

We prepared well, mentally as well as physically, but we started with defeat against Uruguay in a hard-fought match. But we didn’t waver. The team was very strong, and we said we would go for it in our next two matches. We selected well – players who had a thirst for victory, who were prepared to die for each other and their country with a common goal of achieving something that had never been achieved before.