All Whites defender Winston Reid has joked that his wife wants to "kill him", as he prepares to captain New Zealand against the Republic of Ireland in Dubin on Friday (NZ time).
The 31-year-old hasn't played for New Zealand since 2017, while the match ends a 525-day exile for the All Whites, who have been out of action since June last year.
The match is significant for Reid, who hasn't played a competitive match since March last year. He played pre-season matches for English club West Ham, but hasn't played for the senior team this season, limited to 64 minutes for the U23 team on November 1.
"I've been fortunate enough throughout my career, not to have too many serious injuries. Unfortunately, I caught one 18 months ago.
"Hopefully, I've crossed that bridge now and I'm just looking forward to regaining full fitness. It's taken a long time, hopefully we're there.
"It's been a while since we've been in camp together. Probably the last time I've been involved was Peru, a couple of years ago.
"Look, we're here together, we've enjoyed it so far. We've trained well and we're just looking forward to the game tomorrow."
While the match marks Reid's return, experienced striker Chris Wood remains in doubt, as he failed to train with the team, and new coach Danny Hay insists he won't take any risks with his players.
Meanwhile, Ireland have already confirmed their starting side, which features two of Wood's Burnley teammates.
Defender Kevin Long and midfielder Robbie Brady will start, while 17-year-old Troy Parrott will make in his international debut.
After the match against Ireland, the All Whites travel to Lithuania, whom they face on Monday.
Join us for live updates of the international friendly between the All Whites and Ireland from 8:45am on Friday November 15.
