Paul Wade OAM (born 20 March 1962) is an Australian retired soccer player, who is best known for his long-term role as captain of the national team.
Wade would become a key player in the Hellas midfield and become a fan favourite known for his intense work rate and tackling.
[1] Wade's club career was spent entirely in Australia, a rarity for players from that country who often go to Europe on the lure of a better quality of football, more passionate fan support and higher salaries.
He represented the Socceroos at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea and in two FIFA World Cup qualifying campaigns (1990 and 1994).
Faced with the dubious honour of marking star Diego Maradona, Wade was valiant in helping Australia stay in the two games, although they would eventually lose 2–1 on aggregate goals following a 1–0 defeat in Buenos Aires.