For most footballers, being selected to play against the world’s best in the FIFA World Cup is a lifelong dream – and for alumni Lachie Bayliss (2020), it’s about to become a reality.
As he prepares to take on the biggest challenge of his sporting career, we caught up with Lachie to hear more about his football journey, the lessons he learned at School, and what it means to wear the silver fern on football’s biggest stage.
You’ve been selected for New Zealand’s FIFA World Cup squad, which is an incredible achievement! Tell us about your reaction when you first received the news.
Words can’t really describe the feeling. I was delighted, and immediately rang my mum and my brother to share the news with them. It still hasn’t really sunk in that I’m actually here at the World Cup, but I couldn’t be happier with the opportunity.
Your late father was born in New Zealand, and representing New Zealand through his heritage must be very poignant for you. What does wearing the All Whites jersey mean to you personally?
It’s very special for me to represent the country where he was born, and where he spent so many important years of his life. I feel I can connect with him through wearing the fern and I play in his honour every time I step onto the field – especially in a New Zealand jersey.
Football is something that has really connected our family, as it’s been such a big part of our lives – particularly since my brother and I were little. Dad was a massive football lover, so that love for the sport has been ingrained in us from a young age.
It’s a little bittersweet that he’s never going to be able to watch me play professional football, but I know he’d be so proud of how far I’ve come, and I feel so very supported by my mum and brother.
You were a standout during the Newcastle Jets’ premiership-winning campaign and were hand-picked from dozens of candidates for the All Whites. If you could go back and speak to your Year 12 self, what would you say about backing yourself to achieve your goals?
I always backed myself and my ability to achieve what I wanted, whether it was in football, study, or other things in my life. I sacrificed a lot to get to this point and was driven by the need to be the best I can be in whatever area.
I would tell my Year 12 self to trust the process and stay patient; most things in life – but particularly football – aren’t a linear progression to get where you want to be.
There’s a lot of rejection and disappointment, and you don’t often get what you deserve. There have been times when I wasn’t selected and playing much, which made me question whether I was good enough to make it.
Looking back, every setback has taught me something and helped me to develop resilience. I believe if you continue to work hard and stay consistent, opportunities will eventually come. I’m trying to soak in the good moments, because it’s been a hard journey to get to this point.
Professional sport can be demanding and unpredictable. How do you stay motivated and continue developing as a player?
It’s definitely demanding, both physically and mentally, and it can be really challenging when you’re not playing as much as you want or you’re not playing well.
I find establishing clear goals and objectives help me to stay motivated when I am in a rough patch. Trying to focus on one thing to get better at each day helps me focus on the process, rather than the outcome.
The first few games of this A-League season, I was on the bench, and my World Cup goal wasn’t looking very likely. But I continued to believe in myself and waited for the opportunity to come, and I was ready for it because of my patience and hard work when I wasn’t playing.
Professional sport is very cutthroat, so I believe the most important thing is to surround yourself with good people and have a strong support system to bounce problems off, so you don’t bottle everything up.
Looking back on your time at School, what are some of the experiences or lessons that helped you on your journey in professional football?
One of the biggest lessons I learnt was time management, as I would often arrive late to School and miss most of Period 1 each day, because of my morning training sessions. I would then have to spend extra time outside of School catching up with teachers to learn the content that I had missed, and revising this myself.
The support from my teachers was also important, because they understood my ambitions and helped me stay on track academically. This helped my discipline, as I knew what I had to do to well in my studies and pursue my football dream.
Balancing multiple commitments at once – including university, football and family life – is now something I regularly manage.
As you prepare for the World Cup, what are you most looking forward to?
I’m most looking forward to competing against some of the best players in the world. The chance to go up against them is really exciting, because they are ultimately the benchmark for where I want to play and the level I need to get to.
Representing New Zealand on one of the biggest stages in world sport is also something that I very much look forward to. Growing up watching major tournaments, you dream of one day being there yourself, so to have the opportunity to do so now at 23 years old is something I’m incredibly grateful for.
I’m looking to build strong friendships with my teammates and see different parts of the world that I haven’t been to yet. I’m excited to share the journey with my family, too, as they are heading over to watch and support me, and are the main reason why I’m in the position I am in.
What advice would you give to our current students who have big dreams, but may be hesitant to take the first steps towards them?
Students who want to achieve their goals need to spend significant time working towards them; whether they’re sporting goals, academic goals, or something else entirely.
I also believe failure and rejection can be positive things. The most important thing is not to get disheartened when things don’t go your way, but instead, find ways to improve and use setbacks as motivation and character building.
Don’t be afraid to start before you’re ready. Most people wait for the perfect opportunity, but progress comes from taking action and learning as you go.
If you’re willing to work consistently over a long period of time, you’d be surprised how far you can go. For me, my journey to becoming a professional footballer started when I was 10 years old. I’ve spent over half my life working towards this goal, through plenty of highs and lows along the way.
To now have the opportunity to represent New Zealand at a FIFA World Cup is incredibly special, but it’s also a reminder that success rarely happens overnight. If you stay committed to your goals and trust the process, amazing opportunities can come from years of consistent hard work.
