Steve Marsella, the former Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Hibernian goalkeeping coach, has died at the age of 59. He passed away on Saturday after battling a short illness.
Tributes from Terry Butcher
Marsella was best known in Scotland for his work under Terry Butcher at Inverness and Hibs, as well as at Brentford and Newport County. An emotional Butcher said: “Steve Marsella passed away on Saturday in Huddersfield, surrounded by his family. It’s so sad. He was a loving, caring and very generous man, who will be sadly missed by everyone who knew him.”
Legacy at Inverness
Marsella was credited with bringing up many of the Caley Thistle squad that won the Scottish Cup in 2015. He signed players including Danny Devine, Carl Tremarco, Johnny Hayes, Gary Warren, Greg Tansey, Ross Draper, Marley Watkins, Aaron Doran, Danny Williams, Billy McKay and James Vincent.
After a short spell at Hibs with Butcher and Maurice Malpas, Marsella became chief scout at Kilmarnock under Lee McCulloch, where he discovered players like Alan Power.
Career across the globe
Before coming to Scotland, Marsella had been a goalkeeping coach at Huddersfield Town, Barnsley, Notts County and Crewe. He also worked in Iceland, for the Scottish Football Association in Moray, and for the Philippines national team under the late Sven-Göran Eriksson, as well as for the local side Global.
In 2023, he stepped into management with Indian club Ladakh, but a lack of funding prevented the move from being a success. Marsella also had a playing career in the English lower leagues and played in Scotland for Elgin City as they moved up from the Highland League to the senior ranks.
