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The general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product. The term most commonly refers to audits in accounting, but similar concepts also exist in project management, quality management, water management, and energy conservation.

Accounting[link]

Audits are performed to ascertain the validity and reliability of information; also to provide an assessment of a system's internal control. The goal of an audit is to express an opinion of the person / organization / system (etc.) in question, under evaluation based on work done on a test basis.

Due to constraints, an audit seeks to provide only reasonable assurance that the statements are free from material error. Hence, statistical sampling is often adopted in audits. In the case of financial audits, a set of financial statements are said to be true and fair when they are free of material misstatements - a concept influenced by both quantitative (numerical) and qualitative factors. But recently, the argument that auditing should go beyond just True and fair is gaining momentum.^[1] And PCAOB has come out with a concept release on the same.^[2]

Auditing is a vital part of accounting. Traditionally, audits were mainly associated with gaining information about financial systems and the financial records of a company or a business (see financial audit). However, recent auditing has begun to include non-financial subject areas, such as safety, security, information systems performance, and environmental concerns. With nonprofit organizations and government agencies, there has been an increasing need for performance audits, examining their success in satisfying mission objectives. As a result, there are now audit professionals who specialize in security audits, information systems audits

In cost accounting, it is a process for verifying the cost of manufacturing or producing of any article, on the basis of accounts measuring the use of material, labour or other items of cost. In simple words the term, cost audit, means a systematic and accurate verification of the cost accounts and records, and checking for adherence to the cost accounting objectives. According to the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan, a cost audit is "an examination of cost accounting records and verification of facts to ascertain that the cost of the product has been arrived at, in accordance with principles of cost accounting."

An audit must adhere to generally accepted standards established by governing bodies. These standards assure third parties or external users that they can rely upon the auditor's opinion on the fairness of financial statements, or other subjects on which the auditor expresses an opinion.

The Definition for Audit and Assurance Standard AAS-1 by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India(ICAI) - "Auditing is the independent examination of financial information of any entity, whether profit oriented or not, and irrespective of its size or legal form, when such an examination is conducted with a view to expressing an opinion thereon."

Integrated audits[link]

In the US, audits of publicly traded companies are governed by rules laid down by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), which was established by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Such an audit is called an integrated audit, where auditors, in addition to an opinion on the financial statements, must also express an opinion on the effectiveness of a company's internal control over financial reporting, in accordance with PCAOB Auditing Standard No. 5.

There are also new types of integrated auditing becoming available that use unified compliance material (see the unified compliance section in Regulatory compliance). Due to the increasing number of regulations and need for operational transparency, organizations are adopting risk-based audits that can cover multiple regulations and standards from a single audit event.^{[citation needed]} This is a very new but necessary approach in some sectors to ensure that all the necessary governance requirements can be met without duplicating effort from both audit and audit hosting resources.^{[citation needed]}

Assessments[link]

The purpose of an assessment is to measure something or calculate a value for it. Although the process producing an assessment may involve an audit by an independent professional, its purpose is to provide a measurement rather than to express an opinion about the fairness of statements or quality of performance.

As a general rule, audits should always be an independent evaluation that will include some degree of quantitative and qualitative analysis whereas an assessment implies a less independent and more consultative approach.

Auditors[link]

Auditors of financial statements can be classified into two categories:

• External auditor / Statutory auditor is an independent firm engaged by the client subject to the audit, to express an opinion on whether the company's financial statements are free of material misstatements, whether due to fraud or error. For publicly-traded companies, external auditors may also be required to express an opinion over the effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting. External auditors may also be engaged to perform other agreed-upon procedures, related or unrelated to financial statements. Most importantly, external auditors, though engaged and paid by the company being audited, are regarded as independent auditors.

The most used external audit standards are the US GAAS of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; and the ISA International Standards on Auditing developed by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board of the International Federation of Accountants

• Internal auditors are employed by the organization they audit. They perform various audit procedures, primarily related to procedures over the effectiveness of the company's internal controls over financial reporting. Due to the requirement of Section 404 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 for management to also assess the effectiveness of their internal controls over financial reporting (as also required of the external auditor), internal auditors are utilized to make this assessment. Though internal auditors are not considered independent of the company they perform audit procedures for, internal auditors of publicly-traded companies are required to report directly to the board of directors, or a sub-committee of the board of directors, and not to management, so to reduce the risk that internal auditors will be pressured to produce favorable assessments.

The most used Internal Audit standards are those of the Institute of Internal Auditors

• Consultant auditors are external personnel contracted by the firm to perform an audit following the firm's auditing standards. This differs from the external auditor, who follows their own auditing standards. The level of independence is therefore somewhere between the internal auditor and the external auditor. The consultant auditor may work independently, or as part of the audit team that includes internal auditors. Consultant auditors are used when the firm lacks sufficient expertise to audit certain areas, or simply for staff augmentation when staff are not available.

• Quality auditors may be consultants or employed by the organization.

Quality audits[link]

Quality audits are performed to verify conformance to standards through review of objective evidence. A system of quality audits may verify the effectiveness of a quality management system. This is part of certifications such as ISO 9001. Quality audits are essential to verify the existence of objective evidence showing conformance to required processes, to assess how successfully processes have been implemented, for judging the effectiveness of achieving any defined target levels, providing evidence concerning reduction and elimination of problem areas and are a hands-on management tool for achieving continual improvement in an organization.

To benefit the organization, quality auditing should not only report non-conformance and corrective actions but also highlight areas of good practice and provide evidence of conformance. In this way, other departments may share information and amend their working practices as a result, also enhancing continual improvement.

Project management[link]

Projects can undergo 2 types of audits:^[3]

• Regular Health Check Audits: The aim of a regular health check audit is to understand the current state of a project in order to increase project success.
• Regulatory Audits: The aim of a regulatory audit is to verify that a project is compliant with regulations and standards. Best practices of NEMEA Compliance Center describe that, the regulatory audit must be accurate, objective, and independent while providing oversight and assurance to the organization.

Energy audits[link]

An energy audit is an inspection, survey and analysis of energy flows for energy conservation in a building, process or system to reduce the amount of energy input into the system without negatively affecting the output(s).

Operations audit[link]

Operations audit is examination of the operations of the client’s business. In this audit the auditor thoroughly examines the efficiency, effectiveness and economy of the operations with which the management of the entity (client) is achieving its objective. The operational audit goes beyond the internal controls issues since management does not achieve its objectives merely by compliance of satisfactory system of internal controls. Operational Audit covers any matters which may be commercially unsound. The Objective of operational audit is to examine Three E’s, namely Effectiveness – doing the right things with least wastage of resources. Efficiency – performing work in least possible time. Economy – balance between benefits and costs to run the operations^{[citation needed]}

A control self-assessment is a commonly used tool for completing an operations audit.^[4]

See also[link]

References[link]

1. ^ McKenna, Francine. "Auditors and Audit Reports: Is The Firm’s "John Hancock" Enough?". Forbes. http://blogs.forbes.com/francinemckenna/2011/07/08/auditors-and-audit-reports-is-the-firms-john-hancock-enough/. Retrieved 22 July 2011. 
2. ^ "CONCEPT RELEASE ON POSSIBLE REVISIONS TO PCAOB STANDARDS RELATED TO REPORTS ON AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS". http://pcaobus.org/Rules/Rulemaking/Docket034/Concept_Release.pdf. Retrieved 22 July 2011. 
3. ^ Cutting, Thomas (January 12, 2008). "How to Survive an Audit". PM Hut. http://www.pmhut.com/how-to-survive-an-audit. Retrieved December 13, 2009. 
4. ^ Gilbert W. Joseph and Terry J. Engle (December 2005). "The Use of Control Self-Assessment by Independent Auditors". The CPA Journal. http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2005/1205/essentials/p38.htm. Retrieved 2012-03-10. 

Eugene Anthony DePasquale (born August 3, 1971) is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives who has represented the 95th Legislative District since 2007, and is a candidate for Pennsylvania Auditor General in the 2012 election. His legislative district includes all of the city of York, Spring Garden Township, part of West Manchester Township, and the boroughs of North York and West York.

Biography[link]

A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, DePasquale graduated from Central Catholic High School and received a bachelors degree from the College of Wooster. He later earned an M.P.A. from the University of Pittsburgh and a J.D. from Widener University School of Law (evening division).

DePasquale is the grandson of the late Eugene “Jeep” DePasquale, who served nearly twenty years in the Pittsburgh City Council, including six years as president, between 1971 and 1989.[1]

DePasquale, after meeting Tracey Secrest, moved to York in 1997. Prior to serving as State Representative, DePasquale served as Director of Economic Development for the City of York from January 2002-September 2003, DePasquale, in this role, served as the chief liaison between government and business, and worked to streamline the permitting process.

From 2003 to 2006, DePasquale served as Deputy Secretary for Community Revitalization and Local Government Support of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.^[2] In this role, DePasquale launched the Brownfield Action Team, which streamlines the process for cleaning up brownfields and claims to "lead the creation or retention of 45,000 jobs in 20 counties".^[3] DePasquale also brought the world's second largest wind energy company (Gamesa USA) to Pennsylvania, providing a clean energy resource for the state and creating close to 1,000 jobs.^[4]

State House[link]

2006-2010 Elections[link]

When incumbent State Representative Steve Stetler resigned from his seat and withdrew from the ballot during the 2006, DePasquale announced his intent to replace him. The York County Democratic Party selected him as their replacement nominee in August, and, despite having less than three months to campaign, he defeated Republican nominee Karen Emenheiser 58.3% to 41.7%.^[5]

DePasquale was re-elected in 2008, defeating Republican candidate Lon Emenheiser 75.1% to 24.9%.^[6]

In 2010, DePasquale was unopposed both in his primary and general re-election. On November 2, he received 97 percent of the vote.^[7]

Government and Election Reforms[link]

Soon after taking office, DePasquale became the first Pennsylvania state legislator to post his expenses on his website.^[8] Every quarter, DePasquale provides a report that shows how he spends any taxpayer dollars, for things such as office supplies and his district office lease.^[9] He also co-sponsored the state’s new open records law.^[10]

In December 2008, DePasquale returned a total of $22,185.44 in unused office expenses.^[11]

In November 2010, DePasquale announced plans to author legislation that would eliminate the automatic pay raises that lawmakers receive, in the form of cost-of-living allowance increases.^[12] DePasquale became one of the first lawmakers to announce he was giving back the annual cost of living adjustment all lawmakers receive.^[12]

In 2009, DePasquale introduced two bills related to voting in the state of Pennsylvania. The first, H.B. 238 would allow Pennsylvania voters to cast their ballots up to 15 days prior to a primary or general election,^[13] while the second, H.B. 1672, that would allow all registered voters in Pennsylvania – even those not affiliated with a particular political party – to cast a vote in primary elections. DePasquale’s legislation would also allow unaffiliated voters to choose a primary in which to vote, while voters registered with a party would continue to only vote in their party’s primaries.^[14]

DePasquale also authored House Bill 256. This legislation would call for a special election to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate and take away the Governor’s ability to fill the vacancy.^[15]

Clean Energy[link]

On July 7, 2008, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell joined DePasquale to officially sign DePasquale’s alternative energy bill, the Alternative Energy Investment Act (Special Session H.B 1), as part of the Energy Independence Strategy. The bill (S.S.H.B. 1) allocates bond funding to support research, development and deployment of various alternative energy projects and technologies. The funding incentivizes alternative-energy production, including the creation of a rebate program for energy-efficient appliances and the establishment of a rebate and grant program for solar energy technology. The legislation also would allow the state to invest money and attract alternative energy-producing companies to the area.^[16]

In November 2009, Governor Ed Rendell's office announced that the Alternative Energy Investment Fund helped create 37 new alternative and clean energy projects across Pennsylvania, creating over 1,200 jobs.^[17] DePasquale was subsequently appointed to serve on the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority Board, which helps fund technology companies and university research, including helping create new alternative energy companies in PA.^[18]

Public and Consumer Safety[link]

DePasquale is a lead proponent to ban text messaging while driving.^[19]

In June 2010 the House unanimously passed DePasquale’s bill, H.B. 1431, that would make it a crime in Pennsylvania to knowingly sell recalled children's products and would give the State Attorney General and local district attorneys the authority to prosecute such offenses.^[20]

Auditor General Campaign[link]

In April 2011, DePasquale announced that he would be running for State Auditor General in 2012 to succeed incumbent Jack Wagner, who is term-limited.^[21]

DePasquale has made Marcellus Shale drilling a central issue of his campaign. He has said that, on his first day as Auditor General, he will order an immediate performance audit of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to ensure the state's water supply has not been compromised by drilling.^[22]

Honors/Awards[link]

In 2008, the Pennsylvania Citizens for a Better Library named DePasquale the Elected State Official of the year.^[23]

DePasquale received a Green Power Award from Citizen's for Pennsylvania Future (Penn Future) in September 2010 for his work to promote the growth of clean energy in the state.^[24]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Eugene DePasquale for Auditor General official campaign website
• Pennsylvania House of Representatives - Eugene DePasquale official PA House website
• Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus - Rep. Eugene A. DePasquale official caucus website

• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Follow the Money - Eugene DePasquale
  • 2006 campaign contributions

Nandan Manohar Nilekani
Nandan M Nilekani at the World Economic Forum in Davos, 2007
Born	(1955-06-02) 2 June 1955 (age 57) Sirsi (Uttara Kannada District), Karnataka, India
Residence	Bangalore
Nationality	Indian
Alma mater	Indian Institute of Technology
Occupation	Chairman of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)
Net worth	$1.4 billion (2012)[1]
Signature	150px

Nandan Nilekani (born June 2, 1955) is an Indian entrepreneur. He currently serves as the Chairman of the new Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), after a successful career at Infosys Technologies Ltd. He is also now heading Government of India's technology committee, TAGUP.

Early life[link]

Nandan Manohar Nilekani was born in Sirsi town in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, as the younger son of Durga and Mohan Rao Nilekani.His father worked as a General Manager of Mysore and Minerva Mills. His father, who subscribed to Fabian Socialist ideals, had an influence on Nandan during his early years. He has an elder brother, Vijay, who works in the Nuclear Energy Institute.^[2]

He studied at St. Joseph's High School Dharwad,studied at the Bishop Cotton Boys' School, Bangalore and later in Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai where he graduated with a B.Tech in Electrical Engineering in 1978.^[3] His early years were marked by his father’s job transfers and re-locations. He spent the first twelve years at Bangalore, and then moved in with his uncle’s family in Dharwad, after his father had been transferred.

Career[link]

Nandan Nilekani, after graduating from IIT Bombay in 1978, joined Mumbai-based Patni Computer Systems where he was interviewed by N.R. Narayana Murthy. Three years later, in 1981, Murthy walked out of Patni following a disagreement with one of the Patni brothers. His entire division walked out with him. The defectors decided to start their own company, Infosys.

Nilekani became the Chief Executive Officer of Infosys in March 2002, taking over from Murthy. Nilekani served as CEO of the company from March 2002 to April 2007, when he relinquished his position to his colleague Kris Gopalakrishnan, becoming Co-Chairman. He left Infosys on 9 July 2009 to serve as the chairperson of the Unique Identification Authority of India, in the rank of a cabinet minister under invitation from the Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh.

He co-founded India’s National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) as well as the Bangalore Chapter of The IndUS Entrepreneurs (TiE).

He appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on March 18, 2009^[4] to promote his book "Imagining India." He spoke, at a TED conference, about his ideas for India's future.

He has an estimated net worth of the Indian rupee equivalent of US$1.8 billion.^[1] In 2009, Time magazine placed Nilekani in the Time 100 list of 'World's Most Influential People' ^[5]

Nilekani has been extensively quoted in Thomas Friedman's book The World is Flat.^[6]

Personal life[link]

Nandan Nilekani is married to Rohini, whom he met at a quizzing event at IIT.^[7] They have two children Nihar and Janhavi, both studying at Yale University.^[8]

Honours and awards[link]

This biographical section needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (October 2011)

• One of the youngest entrepreneurs to join 20 global leaders on the prestigious World Economic Forum (WEF) Foundation Board in January 2006.
• Member of the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi
• Member of the review committee of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.
• Forbes “Businessman of the Year” for Asia in 2007.
• He, along with Infosys founder (and currently non-executive chairman) N. R. Narayana Murthy, also received Fortune magazine’s ‘Asia’s Businessmen of the Year 2003’ award.
• Named among the ‘World’s most respected business leaders’ in 2002 and 2003, according to a global survey by Financial Times and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
• Awarded the Corporate Citizen of the Year award at the Asia Business Leader Awards (2004) organized by CNBC.
• Joseph Schumpeter Prize for innovative services in economy, economic sciences and politics - 2005.^[9]
• Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian honors awarded by the Government of India - 2006.
• Was presented the 'Legend in Leadership Award' by the Yale University in November 2009. He is the first Indian to receive the top honour.
• Was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto on the 31st of May, 2011.
• NDTV Indian of the Year's Transformational Idea of the Year Award in 2011^[10]

Bibliography[link]

• Nandan Nilekani. Imagining India: The Idea of a Renewed Nation (March 19, 2009 ed.). Penguin Press HC. p. 528. ISBN 1-59420-204-4. 

In this book, Nandan discusses topics such as the future of India, its recent history, the ideas and attitudes that evolved with the times and contributed to the country’s progress, India’s early socialist policies, its young population, Information Technology, caste politics, labour reform, infrastructure, higher education, and the English language in India.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Nandan Nilekani

• Nandan Nilekani at TED Conferences
• About Nandan Nilekani

This article's lead section may not adequately summarize its contents. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of the article's key points. (March 2012)

Ryan Nelsen

Personal information
Full name	Ryan William Nelsen
Date of birth	(1977-10-18) 18 October 1977 (age 34)
Place of birth	Christchurch, New Zealand
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current club	-
Number	-
Youth career
0000–1995	Christchurch United
1997–1998	Greensboro College
1999–2000	Stanford Cardinal
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1995–1998	Christchurch United[2]	96	(12)
2001–2005	D.C. United	81	(7)
2005–2012	Blackburn Rovers	172	(8)
2012	Tottenham Hotspur	6	(1)
National team‡
1998	New Zealand U23	2	(0)
1999–	New Zealand	45	(6)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:00, 4 May 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22:00, 4 September 2011 (UTC)

Ryan William Nelsen, ONZM^[3][4] (born 18 October 1977) is a New Zealand footballer who is a defender, and is currently a free agent after being released by Tottenham Hotspur F.C.. Nelsen captains the New Zealand national team, the All Whites.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Nelsen was born in Christchurch. After attending Our Lady of the Assumption primary school and St Thomas of Canterbury College, he moved to the United States to play for Greensboro College in North Carolina in 1997. After spending two years at Greensboro and leading The Pride to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III championship match, only to lose to Ohio Wesleyan University, he transferred to Stanford University where he played his final two years of college soccer. He was named Stanford's Most Valuable Player as a junior and an NSCAA All-American as a senior while playing as a defensive midfielder. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in political science.^[5]

Club career[link]

Christchurch United[link]

Serendipitously, Nelsen - then 20 - was home for a semester's sabbatical from his university soccer scholarship with Greensboro College in the United States. He'd already had three or four seasons with Christchurch United before he went stateside.^[2]

DC United[link]

Nelsen was drafted 4th overall in the 2001 MLS SuperDraft by D.C. United, with whom he spent four years in Major League Soccer. After emerging as a starter in 2002, Nelsen was named team captain in 2003, replacing Marco Etcheverry in that role, as well as winning the team's Defender of the Year Award and being named to the league's Best XI. He was named to the Best XI again in 2004, after captaining DC to its fourth MLS Cup. In four years in MLS, Nelsen scored seven goals and added five assists.

Blackburn Rovers[link]

Nelsen was signed by Blackburn Rovers on a free transfer in January 2005, shortly after the completion of the 2004 MLS season. In the summer of 2005, after just 6 months at the club, Nelsen signed a new three year contract after impressing manager Mark Hughes and helping to turn Blackburn's defence into one of the stingiest in the Premiership. Nelsen was successfully awarded a work permit on appeal after the initial application had been refused due to New Zealand being ranked outside the top 70 in the FIFA World Rankings.

In the 2005–06, Blackburn qualified for the UEFA Cup with a sixth place finish, but Nelsen missed the last couple of games after breaking his foot in a 2–0 win at Charlton Athletic. Nevertheless, his performances since arriving in England prompted much interest from rival clubs including Portsmouth, who's bid for Nelsen was rejected by Blackburn. On 1 February 2006, he started and played the full 90 minutes alongside then Andy Todd in a 4-3 league victory over Manchester United at Ewood Park.

Nelsen was dealt another blow before the start of the 2006–07 season, with a serious hamstring injury forcing him out until the new year. On his return to the team in an FA Cup fourth round win at Luton Town, he was immediately made captain. In July 2007, he signed a new five-year deal with the club up until the summer of 2012. He scored his first league goal for Blackburn with a header against Wigan Athletic on 26 April 2009 in a 2–0 win. He then scored his second Premier League goal against Portsmouth with a header from a corner taken by David Dunn on 7 November 2009, and has also scored goals against Birmingham City and Fulham. On 11 April 2010, Nelsen came on for the injured Chris Samba against Manchester United at Ewood Park in a 0-0 draw.^[6] Nelsen made his 175th appearance for Blackburn Rovers, captaining the team in a 3–2 defeat to Everton at Ewood Park on 17 April 2010. In all competitions, Nelsen made a total of 33 appearances, and scored four goals, for Blackburn in 2009–10.

On 13 November 2010, he scored for Blackburn against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane for his first goal of the 2010–11 Premier League season. On 27 November, he played the full 90 minutes partnering Christopher Samba, but this time in a disastrous 7-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester United at Old Trafford. He then added his second and third goals of the campaign by scoring against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 4 December in a 3-0 win and against West Ham United on 18 December in a 1-1 draw.

With Blackburn's tenth successive Premier League season (and their 17th in 19 seasons) now underway, Nelsen has welcomed the club's proposed takeover by Indian owned Venky's Group who has promised up to £100million for Sam Allardyce to spend on strengthening the squad – with Nelsen feeling that the squad could do with "freshing up". On 15 January 2011, he made his 200th appearance for Blackburn in the away game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.^[7]

Nelsen signed a one-year contract extension with Rovers in late January 2011 which will keep him at the club until the summer of 2013.^[8] Under Steven Kean as manager following the sacking of Sam Allardyce, Nelsen was replaced as team captain of Blackburn in favour of Christopher Samba, Nelsen moving to vice-captain. Although he remained official club captain. Nelsen suffered a knee injury forcing him to miss the rest of the 2010-11 season. Following 2010-11 season, in which Blackburn avoided relegation, Nelsen recovered from the knee injury and made one appearance against Aston Villa in a 3-1 loss. Nelsen has since suffered another injury and flew to New Zealand to spend time with the medical experts who played a key role in the All Blacks' Rugby World Cup success.^[9]

Nelsen was released from Blackburn on 31 January 2012 following a string of injuries.^[10]

Tottenham Hotspur[link]

Nelsen was signed by Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer on 2 February 2012, to replace defender Sébastien Bassong, who joined Wolves on loan. He was given the number 33 shirt.^[11][12] He made his début for Tottenham on 11 February 2012 in the Premier League match against Newcastle United, when he replaced Ledley King in the 74th minute.

Nelsen made his first starting début on 19 February 2012 against Stevenage in their FA Cup tie.^[13]

He scored his first goal for Tottenham Hotspur on 27 March 2012 in the 74th minute of an FA Cup tie against Bolton Wanderers in a replay of a previous game, due to Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba having a cardiac arrest in the first tie. Tottenham won the match 3-1 that day.

On the 25 of May 2012, he was released by Tottenham with fellow January signing Louis Saha. He made 5 appearances scoring one goal.

International career[link]

Nelsen made his New Zealand All Whites debut against Poland on 19 June 1999.^[14][15] Although he has been selected to play on numerous occasions, Nelsen had not represented New Zealand between his last appearance in 2004 and 2008 due largely to a recurring hamstring injury.^[16] Nelsen captained the New Zealand U-23 squad for their first appearance at the Olympic Games against China. Although he was only available for the opening two matches as Blackburn had requested that he return in time to prepare for their opening Premier League game of the 2008–09 season against Everton.^[16][17] Nelsen captained the All Whites side as they qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, beating Bahrain in a two-legged playoff in November 2009.

On 10 May 2010, Nelsen was named in New Zealand's final 23-man squad to compete at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.^[18]

On 15 June, 28 years to the day after New Zealand made their first appearance in a FIFA World Cup Finals, Nelsen captained New Zealand to their first ever point in a FIFA World Cup Finals match in a 1–1 draw with World Cup debutants Slovakia. On 24 June, Nelsen again skippered the All Whites in a 0–0 draw with Paraguay, but New Zealand were knocked out of the group stages.

Nelsen was named in a football "World Cup Best XI" by American sports channel, ESPN on 10 July 2010.^[19]

International goals[link]

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Minute	Final Score	Result	Competition
1	19 August 2000	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Malaysia		2–0	Win	Merdeka Tournament Invitational Friendly
2	5 July 2002	Albany, New Zealand	Tahiti	30'	4–0	Win	2002 OFC Nations Cup
3	7 July 2002	Albany, New Zealand	Papua New Guinea	54'	9–1	Win	2002 OFC Nations Cup
4	14 July 2002	Auckland, New Zealand	Australia	78'	1–0	Win	2002 OFC Nations Cup
5	27 May 2003	Edinburgh, Scotland	Scotland		1–1	Draw	Friendly
6	4 June 2004	Adelaide, Australia	Tahiti	82'	10–0	Win	2004 OFC Nations Cup
Last updated 15:00, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Club career statistics[link]

^{* Stats correct as of 7 April 2012}

^[20][21]

Writing career[link]

Nelsen and New Zealand author Tony Smith co-wrote the book Ryan Nelsen's Road to the World Cup.^[22]

Awards[link]

On 31 December 2010, as part of the 2011 New Year's Honours, Nelsen was named an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for his services to football.^[3][4]

See also[link]

• New Zealand national football team
• New Zealand at the FIFA World Cup
• New Zealand national football team results
• List of New Zealand international footballers

References[link]

External links[link]

• Ryan Nelsen – FIFA competition record
• NZ Football Profile
• Ryan Nelsen career stats at Soccerbase
• Ryan Nelsen at the MLS Official Website
• Ryan Nelsen at rovers.co.uk
• Nelsen at tottenhamhotspur.com

New Zealand Squads v t e New Zealand squad – 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup 1 Batty 2 Zoricich (c) 3 Douglas 4 Bunce 5 Perry 6 Wilkinson 7 Burton 8 Lines 9 Urlovic 10 Jackson 11 Ngata 12 Atkinson 13 Bouckenooghe 14 Nelsen 15 Vicelich 16 Coveny 17 Elrick 18 Smith 19 Utting 20 Nicholson Coach: Dugdale v t e New Zealand squad – 2002 OFC Nations Cup Winners (3rd Title) 1 Batty 2 Oughton 3 Jones 4 Zoricich (c) 5 Perry 6 de Gregorio 7 Burton 8 Lines 9 Urlovic 10 Jackson 11 Killen 12 Elliott 13 Bouckenooghe 14 Nelsen 15 Vicelich 16 Collins 17 Campbell 18 Smith 19 Bannatyne 20 Davis Coach: Waitt v t e New Zealand squad – 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup 1 Batty 2 Oughton 3 Mulligan 4 Zoricich (c) 5 Hay 6 Wilkinson 7 Vicelich 8 Lines 9 Burton 10 Jackson 11 Killen 12 Elliott 13 Bouckenooghe 14 Nelsen 15 Smeltz 16 Coveny 17 de Gregorio 18 Smith 19 Utting 20 Davis 21 Hickey 22 Wilson 23 Paston Coach: Waitt v t e New Zealand squad – 2004 OFC Nations Cup Third Place 1 Paston 2 Oughton 3 Mulligan 4 Old 5 Bunce 6 Lochhead 7 Vicelich 8 Lines 9 Hickey 10 Brown 11 Bertos 12 Elliott 13 Fisher 14 Nelsen (c) 15 Wilson 16 Coveny 17 de Gregorio 18 Smeltz 19 Jones 20 Boyens 21 Puna 22 Moss 23 Williams Coach: Waitt v t e New Zealand squad – 2008 OFC Nations Cup Winners (4th Title) Bannatyne Barbarouses Bertos Boyens Brockie Bright Brown Campbell Christie Draper Ellensohn Elliott James Killen Lochhead Moss Mulligan Nelsen Old Oughton Paston Pearce Peverley Pritchett Scott Sigmund Smeltz Smith Spoonley Vicelich Coach: Herbert v t e New Zealand squad – 2008 Summer Olympics 1 Spoonley 2 Scott 3 Hogg 4 Peverley 5 Nelsen (c) 6 Boxall 7 Elliott 8 Henderson 9 Ellensohn 10 Killen 11 Brockie 12 Old 13 van Rooyen 14 Tinkler 15 Draper 16 Jenkins 17 Messam 18 Little Coach: Jacobs v t e New Zealand squad – 2010 FIFA World Cup 1 Paston 2 Sigmund 3 Lochhead 4 Reid 5 Vicelich 6 Nelsen (c) 7 Elliott 8 Brown 9 Smeltz 10 Killen 11 Bertos 12 Moss 13 Barron 14 Fallon 15 McGlinchey 16 Clapham 17 Mulligan 18 Boyens 19 Smith 20 Wood 21 Christie 22 Brockie 23 Bannatyne Coach: Herbert