Connor Browne '22 Recruiting Profile

I first became interested in studying in America towards the end of my first year of High School after watching NCAA soccer highlights on YouTube. Living in New Zealand I have unlimited access to US college sport via ESPN and although the schedule is light on soccer, I was drawn to the idea of US college life by watching sold out basketball and football games. The crowd numbers, the facilities and the rivalries all got my attention and before the 2019 season I adopted a team. After attending valuable Crimson Education seminars in Auckland, I was sold on America after one particular session hosted by a former Stanford admissions officer.

I am currently studying the Cambridge Curriculum in year 11 at Macleans College (Auckland) – the more challenging of the two available papers but the more internationally recognised qualification. Ranked no.3 in New Zealand, Macleans has an outstanding record of sending students abroad on scholarship and on their advice, I am studying a range of subjects in preparation for university with particular focus on the sciences and business alongside the core subjects of Math and English. 

Outside the classroom I am a second-year starter for the men’s First XI soccer team (u19) playing in the Auckland Schoolboy Division 1 League and a select member of the ‘Duke of Edinburgh’ leadership group - a course run by the school with heavy input from ex-police officers and high-profile sports stars. Life is about making good choices and the best choice I’ve made so far is applying to study at Macleans College as an out of zone student back in 2017.

I am a keen fisherman and my timeout is most often spent out on the ocean with friends in a kayak chasing lunch. If we get to use the knife and matches on a quiet island beach it’s a good day turned great. 

To help you learn a bit more about me and my culture I will leave you with selected questions I recently answered for my club side when announcing the squad on Facebook: 

Born: 2004, Austria

Languages: English and German

First Football Club and Age: SV Gallneukirchen, Austria (4yrs)

Favourite Football Team/s: FC Bayern München & Seattle Sounders

Favoured Position: Centre Back or Right Fullback

My game is modelled on: David Alaba

If you could be another player for one week who would it be and why? Robert Lewandowski to have that goal scoring feeling. I don’t get many chances to find the net from right fullback.

Best Football Moment: Winning the International Cup in Christchurch 2017 and beating Australian opposition in the semis. My senior debut Feb.2020 also rates high.

Who is your Football GOAT: Nemanja Vidić

All Whites (NZ Soccer) or All Blacks (NZ Rugby)? The All Blacks in a landslide. The Haka gives me Goosebumps, the skill level is unreal and unlike the All Whites they know how to win.

Favourite Food: I eat anything -including my own experiments. 

Most frustrating thing: I turned 16 during Covid and the lockdown has shut me out of learning to drive.