Paul Okon

NSL Career: Marconi 49 (4) / 1989/90 - 1990/91

Socceroos Career: 28 (0) A Internationals / 9 (1) B Internationals

One of the greatest footballers ever produced in Australia, Paul Okon proved that NSL clubs could provide a successful pathway to professional football besides the AIS. Intelligent and elegant, Okon showed maturity at a young age and his laser-like passing was a key factor in Marconi remaining a top NSL side after consecutive grand final successes.

Son of a German father who played for Marconi, Okon grew up around the club - serving as a ball boy and started his junior career at the club at the age of nine. Okon came up through the ranks before making his first team debut in the NSL at the age of 17. In a star-studded line-up that included Socceroos - Gary van Egmond, Tom McCulloch, Ian Gray and Jean-Paul de Marigny - Okon's composure and intelligence saw him become a regular in the Marconi midfield in his debut season. 

The young defensive midfielder was named NSL U-21 Player of the Year before helping Marconi reach the NSL Grand Final where they lost two-nil to Sydney Olympic. Okon's star continued to rise during the 1990/91 season, becoming a Socceroo at the age of 18 in a friendly against Czechoslovakia before beating out Marconi team mates Steve Corica and NSL Golden Boot winner David Seal to win the U-21 Player of the Year award. 

Okon became just the second NSL player after Paul Trimboli to win the award twice and played in Marconi's minor semi-final loss to Adelaide City before departing for Europe, breaking the Australian transfer record by signing for Belgian side Club Brugge for $300,000. Playing as a sweeper at Brugge, Okon won the Belgian Golden Shoe (league's best player) in 1995, becoming just the fourth non-Belgian to win the award and the first outside of Europe before winning the league and cup double in the 1995/96 season.

 Okon's success in Belgium caught the eye of Italian giants Lazio, who signed the Australian international for the 1996/97 season to fill the hole in their midfield left by Chelsea-bound Roberto Di Matteo. Due to injuries, Okon made just 19 league appearances for the club over three seasons as Lazio won an Italian Cup, Italian Super Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and finished Serie A runners-up in the 1998/99 season.

During an injury-interrupted period in his career, Okon had stints at: Serie A club Fiorentina, English Premier League clubs Middlesbrough and Leeds, English and Italian second division clubs Watford and Vicenza respectively before returning to Belgium with KV Oostende. 

Following two seasons at Oostende, Okon won the Cypriot Cup with Cypriot First Division side APOEL before returning to Australia to join A-League club Newcastle. After a season with Newcastle, where he helped the side reached the preliminary final, Okon hung up his boots at the age of 34. Shortly after retiring as a player, Okon earned his coaching qualifications in Australia and abroad before having short stints as coach of NSW Premier League side APIA and Australia's U-18 side. 

Okon became assistant coach of Gold Coast United's inaugural A-League side before spending four years with the Young Socceroos and Olyroos as head coach and assistant coach respectively. Okon was head coach of A-League club Central Coast Mariners for a season and a half before relocating to Belgium. Okon was selected as a holding midfielder in Marconi's Greatest XI and FFA's Socceroos Team of the 1990s.