Former Canberra United boss Robbie Hooker new Socceroos Assistant

Hooker chosen to assist Socceroos boss

Michael Cockerill
October 4, 2010 - 5:10PM

Robbie Hooker famously cried when he missed out on going to the World Cup as a player, but the former international will be hoping to make up for it as a coach after being appointed as an assistant to new Socceroos boss Holger Osieck.

Hooker, 43, will join former Socceroos teammate Aurelio Vidmar on the national team staff, and is expected to start work today when the squad assembles in Sydney before Saturday night's friendly international against Paraguay.

Capped 20 times by Australia, Hooker was inconsolable in the MCG dressing room after the Socceroos lost out in the infamous play-off against Iran in 1997 in what proved to be the end of his own international career.

Since retiring as a player, Hooker has worked as an assistant to the national women's team, the Matildas, and now gets the biggest opportunity of his coaching career after impressing Osieck during a coaching course in Sydney last year, when the German was here as a FIFA instructor.

One of the conditions of Osieck's appointment was that he appoint two Australian assistants, and Hooker has beaten a strong list of candidates headed by former Newcastle Jets coach Gary van Egmond, now working at the AIS.

Chris1822 wrote:Does this throw hooker's name up for a managerial position for canberra a-league team?