A-League head of operations Matt Carroll said a recent ruling by the Asian Football Confederation that New Zealanders playing with Australian clubs will in future be classed as imports would have a positive knock-on effect for the New Zealand Knights FC. There are seven Kiwis playing with Australian A-League clubs - most of whom were overlooked by the Knights, who have only four home-grown players in their squad. "The AFC has confirmed that clubs competing in the Asian Champions League can have only three imports on their list, making Australian clubs less inclined to target Kiwi talent. To me, that makes it even more important for the Knights to provide a pathway for top-class New Zealand talent," Carroll told Michael Cockerill of the Sydney Morning Herald.