Robbie Slater

NSL Career: St. George, Blacktown, Sydney Croatia, Northern Spirit 252 (58) / 1982 - 2000/01

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

Nicknamed "Bulldog", Robbie Slater was a pacy and energetic midfielder/forward who worked his way up to the highest level of football through determination. Slater played alongside some of the NSL's greatest players before embarking on a successful overseas career.

Born in Ormskirk, Lancashire - Slater moved to Australia as an infant and began his junior career with Revesby Rovers in Sydney's South-West. Slater played for Panania RSL before joining Auburn where he made the third grade team and got noticed by Frank Arok, who signed the teenager when St. George returned to the NSL in 1982.

Slater made his NSL debut at the age of 17, setting up star striker Dez Marton's second goal in a two-nil victory over Marconi. Slater finished his debut season as the club's second highest scorer along with midfielder Mark Barton (both scored eight league goals) and helped the side finish runners-up to Sydney City.

The young winger played in St. George's Play-Off Series Grand Final victory over Sydney City and continued to hold down his spot in the talented side during the 1983 season. Slater again finished second in the club's golden boot standings and helped the side win their first NSL Championship. 

Slater earned a call-up to the national team during the 1984 season, playing in B internationals against Rangers, Nottingham Forest and Iraklis. Slater had trialled with Forest during the 1984 off-season season but was unable to get a release from St. George. The Socceroos winger remained with St. George until the end of the 1985 season before going back to Nottingham Forest where he scored regularly in the reserves but couldn't earn a permanent contract as the club went through financial difficulties. 

Upon returning to Australia, Blacktown signed the youngster for $15,000 - beating out a number of other NSL clubs for his signature. Slater spent a season at Blacktown where he scored the opening goal in the side's three-nil round two victory against former club St. George in the NSL Cup and scored a late equaliser against Heidelberg in the quarter-final that took the game to a penalty shoot-out,  in which they lost three-one.

Blacktown were relegated at the end of the season and Slater moved to Sydney Croatia for another $15,000 transfer fee. Slater joined winger Manis Lamond and centre-forward Graham Arnold in attack and became the club's top scorer with nine goals. Croatia finished fifth in the league before progressing to the final of the NSL Cup in which Slater scored in the first leg as Croatia defeated South Melbourne two-nil on aggregate. Slater made his full international debut during the 1988 season as Croatia pushed for championship success. 

Slater scored the opening goal in Croatia's two-one NSL Cup Semi-Final loss to APIA before helping the side reach the NSL Grand Final. Combative as always, Slater was one of Croatia's best on the day - laying off a pass to Lamond who found Alan Hunter with a cross for a second half equaliser before working his way down the right flank and crossing the ball to Lamond to put Croatia in front in extra time.

Marconi scored a late equalising penalty that took the game to a penalty shoot-out where Slater's penalty was saved by Marconi keeper Bob Catlin before team mate Shane Clinch's miss allowed Marconi's Tony Henderson to step up and take the winning penalty in his last NSL game (Henderson briefly returned to the NSL in the 1989/90 season with Blacktown).

An inconsistent season followed for Croatia as they narrowly missed out on a spot in the finals series before Slater moved to Belgium to join Anderlecht. The Belgian club restricted the Socceroos winger to cup appearances as they had already filled their foreign player quota.

While on holiday in Europe in the off-season, Slater received an offer to trial with French Division Two side Lens. Slater joined the club and became a regular in the side, helping them gain promotion to the top division. Over the next three seasons, Slater helped the side remain a mid-table team in the top division and was twice named Oceania Footballer of the Year.

Slater achieved his life-long dream of playing in the English top flight when Premier League side Blackburn signed the midfielder for a transfer fee exceeding $500,000. Playing alongside Premier League stars such as Alan Shearer, Chris Sutton, Henning Berg and Graeme Le Saux - Slater became the first Australian international to win England's top division championship.

Over the next three seasons, Slater played 65 Premier League matches for West Ham and Southampton before moving to First Division side Wolverhampton Wanderers midway through the 1997/98 season. After making six league appearances for Wolverhampton, Slater returned to Australia to captain new franchise club Northern Spirit in their inaugural NSL season.

Slater formed part of a well-balanced side that included player-coach Graham Arnold, midfield maestro Krešimir Marušić and talented defender Mark Rudan. Slater finished runner-up to Marušić in the club's golden boot standings and helped the side qualify for the finals series where they lost two-one on aggregate to Marconi in the elimination final.

The veteran spent two more seasons at the club before retiring from the top flight and became player-coach of NSW Winter Super League side Manly-Warringah Dolphins for the 2002 season before hanging up his boots at the age of 38. Slater became a football pundit and commentator, most notably for Fox Sports, where he covered the A-League and Socceroos for more than a decade. Slater was selected as a forward in Sydney United's 50th Anniversary All Stars Team and as a midfielder in FFA's Socceroos Team of the 1990s.