Steve Corica

NSL Career: Marconi 103 (14) / 1990/91 - 1994/95

Socceroos Career: 32 (5) A Internationals / 9 (1) B Internationals

One of the most exciting players ever produced in the NSL, Steve 'Bimbi' Corica combined speed and skill to become one of the brightest young stars in the NSL during the early 1990s before embarking on an extensive overseas career. Corica remains one of Queensland's greatest footballers and is their third most capped Socceroo of all time.

Born and bred in Far North Queensland, Corica began his junior career with Innisfail Tigers, which led to a scholarship to the AIS Soccer Program. NSL club Marconi took notice of the young midfielder and signed him for the 1990/91 season, during which time the club had a number of promising young players such as Paul Okon, David Seal and Mark Schwarzer.

Corica made 17 league appearances in his debut season (three starts) and played his first NSL Finals Series match in Marconi's elimination semi-final win over Parramatta. Corica made another 17 appearances in his second season, starting in 10 of those matches, however missed out on selection in Marconi's NSL Cup Final loss to Adelaide City.

The attacking midfielder had a breakout season in 1992/93, winning the NSL U-21 Player of the Year award and was one of Marconi's best players in the finals series: bursting his way through the South Melbourne defence to give Marconi the lead in the first leg of the major semi-final before taking on Adelaide City's Joe Mullen in the grand final to earn Marconi a match-winning penalty.

Corica's impressive form earned him a Socceroos call-up, firstly in a B international against Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem before a full international debut against Czechoslovakia. Another strong season by Corica in 1993/94 saw the young midfielder help Marconi reach the elimination semi-final before heading off to Europe for club trials.

Unable to earn an overseas contract, Corica returned to Australia, but suffered an injury which kept him out of the early stages of the 1994/95 NSL season. Getting back to fitness, Corica returned to form despite Marconi missing out on the finals series for just the second time in their past 11 seasons and earned his first overseas move to English First Division side Leicester City.

The transfer fee was eventually settled in the region of $650-700k (AUD) and Corica, who was the holder of an Italian passport, was granted a work permit unlike fellow Australian signing Zeljko Kalac, who made just two league appearance during the 1995/96 season. 

Midway through the season, Corica signed for Wolverhampton Wanderers for a fee in the region of $1.5-2m (AUD) and became a regular in the side over the next season and a half. Corica helped the Wolves reach the semi-finals of the promotion play-offs before succumbing to a knee injury that saw him make just one league appearance during the 1997/98 season.

Corica returned from injury and worked his way back in to form over the next season and a half which earned him his first Socceroos call-up in three years. The attacking midfielder then moved to Japan  where he became a top performer for Sanfrecce Hiroshima, scoring 14 goals in 43 league appearances for the club over two seasons. The Socceroos midfielder then returned to England, joining First Division side Walsall where he was a regular in his first three seasons before the club got relegated and he returned to Australia to join new franchise club Sydney FC for the inaugural A-League season. 

Still going strong in his thirties, Corica became a club and league legend over five seasons at Sydney: winning the Oceania Club Championship, scoring the winning goal in the inaugural A-League Grand Final and won the 2009/10 A-League Championship despite missing the finals series through injury. 

Corica hung up his boots at the age of 37 and immediately joined the coaching staff at Sydney, eventually replacing head coach Graham Arnold in 2018 and has gone on to win two championships with the club. Corica was selected on the bench in the PFA's first A-League Team of the Decade and was an inaugural Sydney FC Hall of Fame member.