News

Gold Coast United Assistant Coach awarded game’s highest honour

GOLD Coast United Assistant Coach, Paul Okon, has earned a place in the Australian Football Hall of Fame today as reward and recognition of his stellar national and international career.

The Football Hall of Fame is the highest honour within the Australian football community with more than 200 people inducted since it was established in 1999.

Originally from Western Sydney, Okon earned 28 Socceroo caps (‘A’ internationals) and played for several top teams throughout Europe and Australia.

Paul’s club career included Marconi in the National Soccer League, three years with Club Brugge in Belgium before transferring to Lazio in Italy’s Serie A where career-threatening injury kept him out of the game for a significant period.

Well-travelled as a player, Okon also had successful stints in England, Belgium and Cyprus, before returning to Australia to play a season for the Newcastle Jets.

He was a fierce competitor, a true leader on and off the field and was always one of the first names on the team sheet.

Paul was a member of the 1991 FIFA U-20 World Cup squad that made it to the semi-finals of the tournament, and was influential in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics where the Australian squad finished fourth.

Okon was also a member of the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifying squads and was captain throughout the 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Ex-Socceroos teammate and now Head Coach of SA Institute of Sport, Tony Vidmar, and former Westfield Matildas captain, Cheryl Salisbury, were also honoured this year.

Football Federation Australia (FFA) CEO, Ben Buckley, said both Okon and Vidmar had been inspirations to a generation of young footballers.

“Paul and Tony have been team mates together in Australian teams, had impressive careers in overseas leagues, and each had two playing stints in Australia both before and after their overseas careers,” he said.

“It is also terrific to see them both in important coaching positions now.”

Paul Okon at a glance:

Playing career (senior teams):
1989-2007.

Qantas Socceroo honours:
28 'A' international appearances 1991-2003 (plus 9 appearances / 1 goal in non-A internationals).

International debut: 6
February 1991 v Czechoslovakia (in Sydney).

Other Australian representative honours:
U-20 – 1991 FIFA U-20 World Cup (Portugal), U-23 – 1992 Olympic Games (Barcelona).

Senior clubs:
Marconi (Australia), Club Brugge (Belgium), Lazio (Italy), Fiorentina (Italy), Middlesbrough (England), Watford (England), Leeds United (England), Vicenza (Italy), Oostende (Belgium), Apoel Lefkosia (Cyprus), Newcastle Jets (Australia).

Domestic league statistics:
296 appearances (5 goals).