Dundalk re-sign New Zealander with international ambitions for 2025
Norman Garbett, a brother 27-times capped Matthew who is based NEC Breda and who scored in the All Whites’ draw with Ireland in Dublin in November 2023, returns to Oriel
Dundalk have re-signed Norman Garbett, the New Zealander inking a deal that will see him report to Oriel Park on January 9th.
Still 20 years-of-age Garbett represented his country in May 2023's FIFA Under-20 World Cup playing against Guatemala, Uzbekistan, hosts Argentina - where he scored a late winner - and the Round of 16 game against USA.
His brother Matthew, currently based at NEC Breda, is a 27-times capped senior New Zealand international who previously had a spell at Torino and who scored in the All Whites’ draw with Ireland in Dublin in November 2023.
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The younger Garbett arrived on trial and signed for the Lillywhites in the summer of 2024 going to make eight appearances as a substitute, the last of which against Shamrock Rovers in the final home game of the season, saw him pick up a hamstring injury.
“Obviously, I was disappointed with what happened at the end of the season,” says the Chelsea-born player who has a French mother and New Zealand father.
“I had a few conversations with the manager and also Liam Burns, and they were talking about a great project that is going to be happening. I talked to some of the boys on the ground that are already there. I just wanted to be a part of it and help Dundalk get back up to where they rightfully belong.
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“The injury has been coming along really well, I’ve been working alongside a really good physio in New Zealand, Gavin Cross, probably one of the best, he works with the Black Caps, the New Zealand cricket team.
“They’re probably one of the better cricket teams in the world and he is with them. I’m working with him at the moment full-time, every day, so it’s coming along really good. I’ve not had any setbacks. He’s very, very happy with how everything is progressing.
“When I come back to Ireland, it’ll be the 11th week since the injury. Obviously, nobody wants to have an injury of that sort, but if there was a time to do it and a time where you can just really focus and really strengthen it, it would probably be the off-season.
“I don’t think I’ll be missing any games and hopefully I’ll be hitting the ground running.
The winger's football career to date has featured four years at Kapiti Coast United with further spells at the Olé Football, Brooklyn Northern United and Western Suburbs before having had trials in Italy.
“I left New Zealand at 18 and went over to Italy to trial at some clubs,” he explains. “My brother (Matthew) was already over there, so I was quite keen to go there.
“I was on trial with Napoli, that was for about two weeks. At the end of it, they didn’t want to sign me, but after that, the people who were helping me get these trials, they said Potenza has come up.
“One of the main reasons I probably went to Potenza was because of the coach, he was an ex-AC Milan player, Antonio Nocerino. If you look at what he has done in football, he has done so much, I knew I could learn a lot from him, and I did.
“He helped me along the way. He’s one of the main reasons I got selected into the Under-20 World Cup squad.”
Garbett may have experienced four tough months in Ireland where a financial crisis left Dundalk on the brink of extinction in mid-September and relegation following less than five weeks later.
But the young New Zealander is undaunted, hungry to help with a bounceback to the top division.
“I thoroughly enjoyed arriving at Dundalk. The boys are very welcoming. That’s one thing I really noticed,” he says.
“The first week I signed, I pretty much made some good friends on the team. I was living with two Scotsmen, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was enjoying playing football.
“Ireland is not too different to New Zealand, just the weather obviously is a bit different. The people are all very friendly. I really enjoy it. The culture is good.
"It has been an easy adjustment for me, to be honest, because it just reminds me of home, and the people are so friendly that there isn’t any real adjustment to be made.
“It was a little bit frustrating. I wanted to play as much as I could. There were some things that were not really going my way. But I think this season, I’m pretty confident, touch wood and hopefully, things are looking better.”
Garbett will turn 21 in February and he becomes the 15th player to be confirmed as part of Ciarán Kilduff’s 2025 squad
“I just really want to help the team improve every week and get the club back up. I don’t want to set any goals. If I work hard, I know things will come for me, and things will come for the team.
“Ciaran has given me a lot of confidence. He wanted me to be a part of his plans. I really, really enjoyed that.
“Obviously, coming off the back of the season, I had an injury that was quite overwhelming. Mentally, I was in a little bit of a negative place coming back home. I needed to be around my family, and obviously my family were great.
“Talking to the manager, he has a lot of confidence in the team and in me. Those conversations were really good. I think he believes. I’m looking forward to coming back.”
Garbett, to his credit, retains his dreams of representing New Zealand - hopefully with some caps alongside brother Matthew.
“100 percent, I’m still young so I’m aiming for the All Whites. Obviously, there is a journey to go, but my brother has pathed a pretty clear way for me.
“He has always been a big inspiration as much as we’ve been competitive with each other. Especially in recent years, if I need any advice on anything, I just give him a ring and he’s there for me. He’s a massive inspiration. Seeing what he’s doing gives me motivation.”
The Lillywhite fans, he admits, played a significant part in his decision to return.
“They were unreal. It was unbelievable the support we had, they stuck behind us the whole time.
“It was definitely a factor in me coming back.
"The biggest one that was eye-opening for me was Sligo away, Eoin Kenny touched on it in his interview, it was unbelievable. It’s such a long trip, I don’t know how many fans were there, but they packed out the whole away end.
"Things weren’t going our way, there were a lot of things happening off the park but the fans stuck right with us and that’s all you really can ask for from fans.”
“Actually, somehow, there were fans over in New Zealand. My friend saw some Irish guys and for some reason he went to go speak to them, he got into a conversation with them.
“They asked my friend if he knew a footballer called Norman Garbett. They just happened to be Dundalk fans travelling in Wellington, which was pretty crazy.
"My friend gave me a message and he was just like ‘it’s a pretty small world’. I was a bit shocked that that happened as well. That was just literally a couple of weeks ago."
Over 11,500 miles away from Oriel and speaking from Wellington with dundalkfc Garbett has been following the club’s off-season progress keenly.
“I keep an eye on everything, I saw Vinnie Leonard and Luke Mulligan re-signed, two very good, talented, Academy players who I was training with when I was in Ireland.
“Vinnie obviously represents Ireland. The team is looking very good. I can’t wait to meet all the new lads when I arrive. I’m excited to see the new team.”
The Christmas 'present' for the staff and the squad has been sorted too.
“Pineapple lumps are quite famous in New Zealand,” he explains. “I think they’re really only from New Zealand, I’m pretty sure, New Zealand/Australia. They’re a New Zealand delicacy. They’re great. I’m not surprised Peter Halpin loves them so much.
“A fan brought them over to Ireland. We had open training in August. There was a fan, his daughter lives in New Zealand, she’s from Dundalk, she flew over to see her father, she saw that I had signed, and she instantly thought ‘I should bring him some pineapple lumps’.
“She knew I’d like them. That’s how that came about. Her father gave them to me at the open training!”
2025 Dundalk FC Squad
Enda Minogue
Peter Cherrie
Conor O’Keeffe
Mayowa Animasahun
Vinnie Leonard
Seán Keogh
Luke Mulligan
Aodh Dervin (Vice-Captain)
Harry Groome
Daryl Horgan (Captain)
Norman Garbett
Gbemi Arubi
Dean Ebbe
Leo Gaxha
Eoin Kenny
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