Brian Kaltak

Kaltak became the first player from the Pacific to win the A-League when the Central Coast Mariners won the Grand Final last month.

The Oceania Football Center website reports the atmosphere in Erakor was electrifying as the local authority, the Vanuatu Football Federation, and passionate supporters welcomed the central defender back.

The village was adorned with colourful banners and flags.

After the A-League final, Kaltak jetted off to India with the Vanuatu team to contest the Intercontinental Cup where they beat Mongolia and lost to Lebanon and India.

Kaltak's decade-long journey to the A-League began with the Vanuatu Football Federation's academy.

He then moved to New Zealand where he played for Auckland City FC.

The 29-year-old made his A-League debut this season.

Mariners coach Nick Montgomery says it was an easy decision to make as Kaltak already has hero status at the New South Wales club.

The 2021 Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Champions League was cancelled due to the various COVID-19 restrictions across OFC’s Member Associations, meaning no matches were played.

As a result, OFC’s Executive Committee nominated a representative from the Confederation based strictly on sporting merit principles, the representative being Auckland City FC.

After missing out on finals altogether last year because of the pandemic, Kaltak was hoping for a winner's medal with Auckland City, but arch-rivals Team Wellington got the better of them with a 4-2 victory.

The match was historic for more reasons than one, as it was the last final under New Zealand's old system, with Auckland now part of a new and bigger domestic competition which has already kicked off.

Kaltak is hoping the new set-up will open the way for more players from the Pacific Islands to join him in New Zealand, and that his own example will inspire others.