Steve Sumner

Steven Paul Sumner (2 April 1955 – 8 February 2017) was an England-born New Zealand football player. He was born in Blackpool, Lancashire. Sumner was captain of the New Zealand national team during the country's first successful campaign to qualify for the World Cup in 1982.

Steve Sumner

Personal information
Full name	Steven Paul Sumner
Date of birth	(1955-04-02)2 April 1955
Place of birth	Preston, England
Date of death	8 February 2017(2017-02-08) (aged 61)
Place of death	New Zealand
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Youth career
	Blackpool
	Preston North End
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1973–1980	Christchurch United	147	(36)
1981	Newcastle KB United	18	(3)
1982	West Adelaide SC	12	(2)
1983–1986	Manurewa AFC	66	(29)
1987	Gisborne City	25	(6)
1988–1989	Christchurch United	?	(?)
Total		268	(76)
International career
1976–1988	New Zealand	58	(22)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

In 1991 he was inducted into the New Zealand Soccer Media Association Hall of Fame^[1] and was then awarded FIFA's top award, the FIFA Order of Merit, before the opening of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, along with Johan Cruyff and former South African president Thabo Mbeki.^[2]

Sumner died on 8 February 2017 in Auckland, New Zealand from prostate cancer, aged 61.^[3]

Honours

Individual

Sumner in 2016, after his investiture as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit by the governor-general, Dame Patsy Reddy

• Player of the Year: 1983^[4]
• Golden Boot: 1983^[4]
• FIFA Centennial Award in 2004
• FIFA Order of Merit: 2010^[2]
• Friends of Football Medal of Excellence 2015^[5]
• Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (for services to football), 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours^[6]
• IFFHS Oceania Men's Team of All Time: 2021^[7]

Club

Christchurch United

• National League: 1973, 1975, 1978, 1988
• Chatham Cup: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1989

Manurewa

• National League: 1983
• Chatham Cup: 1984

Gisborne City

• Chatham Cup: 1987