Robert Hooker
Personal information
Full name Robert Hooker[1]
Date of birth (1967-03-06) 6 March 1967[1]
Place of birth Australia
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
1984–85 Australian Institute of Sport
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1986 Sydney City 15 (0)
1987–92 Sydney Olympic 113 (2)
1992–97 West Adelaide 131 (17)
1997–98 Sydney United 23 (1)
1998–99 Marconi Stallions 12 (1)
1999–2001 Canberra Cosmos 57 (0)
2001–02 Auckland Kingz 10 (0)
2003–04 APIA Leichhardt Tigers 14 (0)
International career‡
1984 Australia U-20
1985 Australia U-23
1990–98 Australia 22 (2)
Managerial career
2008–09 Canberra United
2023- Western Sydney Wanderers Women
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 5 October 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 5 October 2023

Robert Hooker (born 6 March 1967) is an Australian former soccer player and coach. He played for and later became assistant coach of the Australian national team and is the current head coach of the Western Sydney Wanderers Women.

Playing career

Hooker started his playing career with Mount Colah Soccer Club and was a graduate of the Australian Institute of Sport Football Program, granted a scholarship in 1984 and 1985. This led to selection in the Australia U20 side for the 1985 FIFA World Youth Championship finals.

Through his playing career, Hooker played in the NSL for Sydney City, Sydney Olympic, West Adelaide, Sydney United, Marconi, Canberra Cosmos and Auckland Kingz. He later finished his career in the NSW Premier League with APIA Leichhardt and Belconnen Blue Devils.

He was first selected for the Socceroos in 1990, coming on as a substitute against touring club side Hajduk Split. He would make his first appearance in an 'A' international later that year away to South Korea. From 1995 to 1998 he was a regular selection in the national team, including inclusion in the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup squad.

International goals
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
11 November 1995Bruce Stadium, Canberra, Australia Tahiti1–05–01996 OFC Nations Cup
225 January 1997Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, Australia Norway1–01–0Friendly

Coaching

After his playing career, he took up coaching in women's football, first in the United States before returning to Australia. In 2008/2009, Hooker joined W-League club, Canberra United as its inaugural coach. He only stayed on as manager of United for one season. In 2010, following the appointment of Holger Osieck as Socceroos head coach, Hooker and Aurelio Vidmar were employed as assistants. After over a decade out of top level coaching he returned to join the Western Sydney Wanderers when Kat Smith left the club 2 weeks prior to the start of the 2023/24 A-League Women's season.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Robbie Hooker". footballzz.com. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
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