Grant Turner

Grant John Turner (7 October 1958 – 28 February 2023) was a New Zealand association football player who represented the New Zealand national team 42 times in A-internationals from 1980 to 1988, scoring 15 goals.

Turner was a member of the first successful All Whites campaign to qualify for the World Cup, in 1982 in Spain, where they played three group games against Scotland, USSR and Brazil, but he did not play in the finals due to an injury sustained soon after arrival in Spain. He got his first start for the club the next season as well as getting his first senior goal in a 3–0 win over Christian Youth. He ended the season at Petone with five appearances and the two goals from that game.

In 1976, Turner made his national debut with Stop Out in the National Soccer League. Turner was the top goal scorer and voted Player of the Year in 1981 while playing with Gisborne City. That was followed by a loss in the 1984 final, this time to Manurewa.

Turner would win the national league with Gisborne City in 1984. He won the Player of the Year a second time in 1986.

Turner scored in New Zealand's 2–0 win over Australia in one of their most important trans-tasman wins in All Whites history, that put New Zealand through to the second round of qualification.

Turner was inducted into the Sports Legends of Wellington in 2022 for his contribution to football.

Turner died in Tauranga on 28 February 2023, at the age of 64.

Honours Individual New Zealand Footballer of the Year: 1981, 1986