Okon, who turns 35 on April 5, has spent the last six weeks pondering his decision after Newcastle’s heartbreaking exit to Adelaide in the A-League preliminary final.

We understand the former Lazio, Fiorentina and Middlesbrough star will formally announce the decision shortly.

The former Socceroo captain’s form in the latter half of the season was one of the reasons behind the stunning upturn in the Jets’ form which saw them catapult from bottom of the league to one game away from the grand final in just four months.