The heartfelt reason Auckland FC’s arrival was extra special for grand final hero Cam Howieson

Sunday, 24 May 2026

Most New Zealanders have to leave home to play professional football.

From 2007 to 2024, Wellington was the only place you could without leaving the country.

Auckland FC’s arrival two years ago changed that, putting Aotearoa’s largest city back on the map in the global game.

It also gave a lifeline to an All White who was good enough to have already been playing professionally, as he did from 2011 to 2016, but had heartfelt reasons why he didn’t want to leave Auckland, so had been waiting – without a great deal of hope – for professional football to come to him.

On Saturday night, almost two years to the day since he was unveiled as one of the A-League Men expansion club’s first four signings, Cam Howieson scored the goal that delivered Auckland FC a 1-0 grand final win over Sydney FC and their first championship – his first goal in 44 appearances for the club.

He was then awarded the Joe Marston Medal as the player of the match, capping a remarkable finals series where he also – somewhat unwittingly – registered his first assist, after stepping up to start in midfield with Jake Brimmer and Felipe Gallegos battling injuries.

The eldest of Howieson’s two daughters with wife Samantha, six-year-old Layla, has developmental epileptic encephalopathy and uses a wheelchair. Giving her his full support had meant putting his professional football dreams to one side during his late 20s.

He told Sky Sport after the final his family had been in attendance and that it was “their first time coming this season”.

“My oldest girl’s in a wheelchair, so it can be very tough for her to come to these games, but it was a special occasion tonight, and it was one that you knew they wanted to come to – and what a game to come to.”

Howieson had been with Auckland City for two years when Layla was born in 2019 and stayed with them until he joined Auckland FC in 2024, winning a wealth of silverware in New Zealand and Oceania and playing at three FIFA Club World Cups.

As a teenager he had left New Zealand to join Burnley, where he made two English Championship appearances in 2012. A move to St Mirren in Scotland followed for the 2015-16 season, but come the end of 2016 he was back in New Zealand, where he has stayed for almost a decade.

Howieson earned his first All Whites cap as a 17-year-old in 2012 and has made a total of 22 appearances for the national team, with the last three coaches – Fritz Schmid, Danny Hay and Darren Bazeley – all showing a willingness to pick him from amateur football when in need of a central midfielder.

Given the lack of depth in that position over the years, he probably would have earned more caps if he had taken up some of the opportunities on offer outside the City of Sails.

'It's been my decision to stay locally,” the 31-year-old said after the grand final. “I had chances to go overseas and play professionally, but that was my decision. I wanted to be here for my family.

“It's been tough. I probably didn't think this would come about.

“It’s just been amazing to be a professional footballer again, training full time, and I'm just so proud of my family and myself for getting the job done.”

Howieson said he had found it “a little bit tough” turning down opportunities at first.

“My dad was always so loving to me, and I just want to show my kids the same. I probably didn't have to think too much about it, to be honest. I wanted to be here to support my family.

“Obviously there's some disappointment when things are coming in and you’re having to decline them, but I was playing locally, and I still enjoyed that. I love playing. We had times where we went to Club World Cups. I enjoyed those moments.”

Now Howieson has a moment to top them all – a grand-final winning goal, a volley from outside the box that took a deflection off Sydney defender Jordan Courtney-Perkins which left goalkeeper Harrison Devenish-Meares stranded, going the wrong way.

Howieson initially thought it had been steered in by striker Sam Cosgrove, but was rapt when the tall Englishman turned and gave all the credit to him, as the 28,374-strong crowd went wild.

“It felt like the ball was in the air for a long time,” he said of the wait to hit it in the 60th minute. “It was all about just getting it on target.

“I was obviously buzzing to score my first goal and I could feel it from the boys as well, how happy they were for me. What a time to score. I can't even put it into words.

“After I scored, I was trying to find my family, which was quite difficult. There were a lot of people here tonight. I felt the full support from everyone, which was amazing.”

Corica knows what it’s like to score the winner in a grand final, having done so for Sydney FC in the first A-League Men decider 20 years ago.

“I know the feeling that he would have been going through,” he said. “I still remember my goal that I scored, so you'll never forget it. It's really special.”

And for Howieson’s daughters: “These are the proud moments that their dad has provided for them”.

Howieson is off contract now the 2025-26 season has ended, but is expected to be re-signed.