Photo: New Zealand Government, Office of the Governor-General / CC BY 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Sumner's story genuinely moves me. Born in Preston but reborn as a Kiwi icon, he captained New Zealand through its first World Cup qualification and scored the nation's first-ever World Cup goal against Scotland in 1982. To pour yourself into a country that isn't your birthplace, and to become its footballing heartbeat, takes a rare kind of devotion. The Order of Merit was deserved recognition. He passed in 2017, but men like him live on in collective memory rather than mere stat lines. I hold deep respect for what he gave that nation.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Steve Sumner
- Name (Japanese)
- スティーヴ・サムナー
- Reading
- すてぃーゔ・さむなー
- Born
- April 2, 1955 – February 8, 2017
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Goat
- Origin
- Preston, United Kingdom
- Height
- 180 cm
- Occupation
- association football player
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Steve Sumner born?
April 2, 1955 – February 8, 2017.
Where is Steve Sumner from?
Steve Sumner is from Preston, United Kingdom.
What does Steve Sumner do?
Steve Sumner works as association football player.
How tall is Steve Sumner?
Steve Sumner is 180 cm.
Association football player — see all → · More people from United Kingdom →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.