Paul Agostino

Football player infobox
playername= Paul Agostino
fullname = Paul Agostino
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1975|6|9
cityofbirth = Adelaide
countryofbirth =Australia
height = height|m=1.84
currentclub = Adelaide United
clubnumber = 9
position = Striker
youthyears =
youthclubs = Salisbury
years = 1991–1992
1992–1994
1994–1995
1995–1997
1997–2007
2007–"present"
clubs = West Adelaide SC
BSC Young Boys
Yverdon-Sport FC
Bristol City
1860 Munich
Adelaide United
caps(goals) = 017 0(6)
026 0(3)
015 0(6)
084 (19)
187 (46)
010 0(4)
nationalyears = 1991
1993
1996
1996–2005
nationalteam = Australia U-17
Australia U-20
Australia U-23
Australia
nationalcaps(goals) =
020 0(9)
pcupdate = 18 December 2007
ntupdate = 18 December 2007

Paul Agostino (born 9 June 1975 in Adelaide, Australia) is an Australian football (soccer) striker. Agostino is part of the Adelaide United squad in the Australian A-League.

Club career

Having started his club career at Salisbury United, the South Australian striker burst on to the national scene in 1991 in his first season at senior level with West Adelaide SC in the old and now defunct NSL. It was at this time that "Aga" was picked in the Australian World Youth Championships squad - a squad which contained the likes of Paul Okon and Mark Bosnich during one of Australia's 'Golden Generations' - which made the semi-finals of that competition.

Overseas

Agostino left for Europe in 1992 and headed for Switzerland, where he signed with Young Boys. Agostino stayed in Bern for two seasons which was invaluable in enabling him to adapt to European life and football. It was in Switzerland that he learnt to speak German which would later help his move to Germany in 1997. He then had a short stint with Yverdon before making the move to England. Agostino signed with Bristol City in 1995 and it was in his first season with City that he began to score more regularly, bagging 10 goals in the old Division 1 (the second-tier of English club football).

After two productive seasons in Bristol, Agostino's growing reputation caught the eye of German Bundesliga side 1860 München. He was signed by the club in 1997 at the age of 22. Agostino stayed with the Munich club for a full decade, enduring spells both in and out of the side. Agostino played at the highest level while in Munich, representing 1860 in both the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. He enjoyed his best form for 1860 in the 2000/01 season, scoring 12 goals for the light blues, while Agostino regularly featured in the first team from 1999 to 2002. He fell down the pecking order at 1860 after this and typically played only a handful of games each season until it was revealed the he would be leaving the club on amicable terms at the end of the Second Bundesliga 2006/2007 season.

Adelaide United

It was announced in February 2007 that Adelaide United had agreed on a two-year contract with Agostino which will see the striker return to his home city and play and live in Australia for the first time in 15 years in the third season of the A-League.

Although never prolific in his goal-scoring, Agostino maintained around a one-goal-every-four-games ratio throughout his career. The obvious exception is his national-team record, where he averaged almost a goal every other game.

His injury prone record has not endeared him to the A-League public since his return, wih many questioning the value for money that Adelaide are getting from their 'marquee' player. it is widely tipped that he will only be retained by the clubs at the end of his current contract if he accepts a drastic pay-cut.

International career

Agostino was a regular member of Socceroos squads during the 1990s and played for Australia twenty times at senior international level.

Trivia

Agostino attended Findon High School in his hometown of Adelaide.

A-League career statistics

("Correct as of 24 April 2008")

Honours

With Australia:
* OFC Nations Cup: 2000

External links

* [http://www.adelaideunited.com.au/default.aspx?s=aufc_playerprofile_item&pid=5 Adelaide United profile]
* [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/A/AG.html Oz Football profile]
*de icon [http://www.tsv1860.de/?id=98 1860 Munich profile]