Gerry Gomez

NSL Career: Sydney City, Marconi, APIA, Melita/Parramatta Eagles 303 (56) / 1979 - 1993/94

Socceroos Career: 2 (0) B Internationals

The NSL's most successful player, Gerardo 'Gerry' Gomez was highly spiritual off the field and highly spirited on it - winning five NSL Championships and two NSL Cups in a career that saw him make over 300 league appearances - playing in just about every outfield position with a fierce competitiveness.

Born and raised in Costa Rica - Gomez moved to Australia at the age of 16 and joined Paddington's Portuguese Club (later Fraser Park FC) in Sydney before moving to NSW Third Division club Bondi Marines. Gomez signed for Sydney City and made his NSL debut at the age of 18. As part of a star-studded City squad that won a three-peat of championships between 1980 and 1982, Gomez made just 23 league appearances in his first four seasons at the club before becoming a regular in the 1983 season.

Over the next four seasons, Gomez played as a defender and midfielder and scored 26 goals in 95 league games for City. His battles with opposition forwards and ability to score earned him a Socceroos call-up in 1985, representing Australia in B internationals against Tottenham and Vasco da Gama. 

In his last season at City in 1986, Gomez won the NSL Cup, missing out on selection for the final against West Adelaide before joining Marconi for the 1987 season. Gomez joined a talented Marconi defence that included Steve Calderan, Robbie Wheatley and Tony Henderson - but also scored goals from midfield.

Gomez went on to play in three consecutive grand finals for Marconi between 1988 and 1990, getting sent off in the first and coming on as a substitute in the last two as Marconi won back-to-back championships in 1988 and 1989. Following four successful seasons at Marconi, Gomez joined APIA for the 1990/91 season and helped the side reach the NSL Cup Semi-Finals as their league form remained inconsistent since the mid-1980s.

Gomez joined Melita the following season and spent three seasons at the club where he played in consecutive NSL Cup Finals in the 1992/93 and 1993/94 seasons, winning the latter, and helped the club qualify for the finals series for the second (and last) time in the 1992/93 season. At the end of the 1993/94 season, Gomez left the NSL to sign his first overseas contract with Malaysian side Kelantan. Following the 1994 Liga Perdana season, the first fully professional Malaysian football league season, Gomez hung up his boots at the age of 34.