New Zealand winger Leo Bertos admits he is finding it difficult to adapt to his wing-back role.
All Whites star adapting to defensive position
New Zealand winger Leo Bertos admits he is finding it difficult to adapt to his wing-back role.
The 28-year-old All Whites player is known for his attacking runs down the right flank but following a change in formation, is now playing in a deeper position.
New Zealand have recently adopted a 3-4-3 formation leaving the Wellington Phoenix man unable to get forward on a regular basis.
In their recent 3-1 defeat to Slovenia, Bertos made just three forward runs and admits it has taken time to adjust.
"It's taken a bit for me to adjust to that position," he said.
"Defensively, I haven't been doing too badly but my role is, more often than not, going forward and that's the aspect of the game that has been lacking recently.
"Maybe that has a little bit to do with opportunities but maybe I haven't been getting forward enough to help the rest of the team. Hopefully I can start doing that."
New Zealand have one warm-up game remaining against Chile before their World Cup opener against Slovakia.
Although it may only be a training exercise, Bertos will still be trying to impress against the South Americans.
"You can't go into any game trying to avoid injury," he added.
"If it happens, it happens. That's just luck. It's another tough game for us and a great way to finish off (our preparations)."
