From Office Jobs To The Pitch: The Day Jobs Of Auckland City FC Players

This year’s FIFA Club World Cup offers two things – entertainment for fans, and an opportunity for teams from around the globe to compete against the best. 32 of the strongest clubs from six confederations competing for world dominance.

Giants such as Real Madrid, Chelsea, and Juventus are in America for the tournament, while on the other side of things - smaller teams such as Auckland City FC and Esperance gain a chance to punch above their typical weight.

For the players of Auckland City, this summer provides an opportunity like no other - taking time away from their full-time jobs to face Group C opposition, Bayern Munich, Benfica, and Boca Juniors.

Massive respect to Auckland City FC and their players 👏

They travelled all the way from New Zealand and took annual leave from their jobs, even risked not being able to pay their bills just to be able to play against Bayern Munich. pic.twitter.com/SGZRtkYh6s

— Bayern & Football (@MunichFanpage) June 15, 2025

The smallest and only semi-professional team in the competition. The New Zealand outfit did not have the ideal start to the tournament, cruelly losing 10-0 against Munich as Jamal Musiala netted a hat-trick and Michael Olise added a brace.

But as two games remain in the group stage for the New Zealand Championship side – what are the day jobs of Auckland’s starting line-up?

Goalkeeper – Conor Tracy

AUCKLAND CITY GOALKEEPER CONOR TRACEY one of the semi-pro players in the squad of the New Zealand side 🇳🇿

The goalkeeper has had to take a combination of vacation days and leave without pay for the trip to the US. Will now be taking on Bayern Munich 🤯 pic.twitter.com/OY4NZipTCJ

— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) June 15, 2025

Auckland’s shot-stopper, Connor Tracy, has had a solid stint at the club since joining in 2019. A two-time OFC Champions League champion and a one-time National League winner, Tracy had a near-impossible task against Bayern – making seven saves but facing 31 shots and conceding 10 goals against some of the best forwards in European football. Despite facing Harry Kane on Sunday, the 28-year-old works as a warehouse worker when he's away from the field.

Full Backs – Nathan Lobo and Regont Murati

Facing a team like Bayern, the threat and danger was on the wings for Auckland, with Olise and Kingsley Coman scoring doubles. However, for their full-back duo - they both have incredibly different careers away from the football pitch.

At left back is Nathan Lobo, a New Zealand youth international who joined the club on a free transfer in 2022 from Waitakere United. At 22 years of age, Lobo is a young defender with plenty of potential - having impressed against Al-Ain in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, winning the most tackles in the game (5). Aside from representing Auckland, Lobo has a pretty cool job - working as a sonographer, using ultrasound equipment.

On the opposite side, Regont Murati is the team’s right back, having missed out on the previous fixture against Al-Ain after his replacement, Jerson Lagos, put his name on the scoresheet. Having scored six goals from defence in all competitions last season, Murati works for a shipping service.

🚨 Bayern’s squad is worth 700 times more than Auckland City’s. 😱

But the real shock? Some of Auckland’s players couldn’t show up, they had day jobs & they play football part time. Massive mismatch 😩 pic.twitter.com/W32ODgQlF6

— Winter ❄️☃️ (@AnshuBhatt123) June 15, 2025

Centre Back Trio – Nikko Boxall, Michael Den Heijer and Adam Mitchell

On the wrong side of a 10-0 defeat and having an elite striker in Kane, it was a tough fixture for Nikko Boxall and Adam Mitchell at the back. Boxall, a composed and technical defender – is one of the team’s top passers, completing 47 passes against Bayern while also making two recoveries. On the other hand, Mitchell is Auckland’s aerial kingpin, making nine headered clearances for Albert Riera’s side. Finally, Michael Den Heijer completes the central defensive trio, sitting in the middle of Boxall and Mitchell.

Other than in football, Auckland’s centre-backs have a variety of jobs – Boxall works as a salesman, Den Heijer in foundation and Mitchell is a real-estate worker.

Midfield Partnership: Mario Ilich and Gerrard Garriga

Completing the team’s spine and pulling the strings in the middle, Mario Ilich and Gerrard Garriga are a superb partnership in New Zealand. However, against a team like Vincent Kompany’s Munich, it is a different test, but despite that Ilich impressed, being the best player on the pitch for Auckland, and winning the most duels in the group stage fixture (7). Comparatively, Garriga was substituted after 66 minutes, having to do most of his work in his team’s half, recording four clearances, four recoveries, and three interceptions.

🚨 Auckland City's captain at the 2025 Club World Cup, his main job is as a supermarket salesperson. pic.twitter.com/LyC3BiXUWb

— KinG £ (@xKGx__) June 15, 2025

They might be linked on the pitch, but outside of football, Ilich and Garriga have very different careers. Ilich works in retail as a Coca-Cola salesman while Garriga remains in the world of football, working as an academy coach.

The Front Three: Dylan Manickum, David Seung-Ho Yoo, and Myer Bevan

Against European opposition, Auckland would not have expected to have much of the ball, struggling to create chances or get their forward line involved in the match. Riera’s side fired just one shot towards Manuel Neuer’s goal in their opening fixture of the Club World Cup, the New Zealand outfit creating just 0.03 xG.

With the team operating in a 5-2-3 system, their front three consists of Dylan Manickum and David Seung-Ho Yoo on the wings, supporting Myer Bevan, who is the team’s striker. Manickum, a 33-year-old veteran has scored six goals in his past four campaigns, whilst Yoo has found his first season at the club difficult, netting one goal in 13 appearances. Finally, Bevan has been in marvellous form throughout the season, with eight goals in all competitions.

Dylan Manickum is not the most high-profile name at the Club World Cup, but he might just be the most interesting.

Playing for semi-professional side Auckland City, Manickum, like many of his team-mates, juggles football with a full-time job, working as an assistant site… pic.twitter.com/LsEsv336LC

— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) June 15, 2025

Manickum works as an engineer, but Auckland’s attack consists of two community coaches, with both Bevan and Yoo working within the profession.