Craig Johnston will receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Newcastle on Thursday for his contributions as an inventor, entrepreneur, advocate and sportsman.
Johnston, who starred in the highly successful Liverpool team of the 1980s in England, is also known for having invented and patented the Adidas Predator football boot.
His determination to develop the boot matched his tenacity to become a professional footballer.
"It's part of being a Novocastrian," he said, adding his work ethic reflects the historic coalfields and steel mills of the Hunter.
"It's good-old-fashioned values and no fluff. That's what my parents taught me."
University vice-chancellor Alex Zelinsky paid tribute to Johnston's journey "from his childhood in Lake Macquarie to the global football stage".
Professor Zelinsky said Johnston later became "a successful businessman, designer and entrepreneur".
He said his life was an example of "what can be achieved through talent, determination and creativity".
"While we may know Craig best for his achievements in football, his success beyond the game is equally impressive," he said.
As well as creating the Predator, one of the world's most popular football boots, Professor Zelinsky said Johnston developed "the Butler software program".
This device digitally logged items removed from minibars in hotel bedrooms.
"Craig has consistently shown his ability to transform his innovative ideas into reality," Professor Zelinsky said.
He noted Johnston's support of charity organisations such as Headstart, which helps people living with an acquired brain injury, including his beloved sister Faye.
"As a proud Novocastrian with strong ties to our region, Craig is a true local hero. We are proud to recognise his achievements," Professor Zelinsky said.
After receiving his "doctor of business" honour at the university, Johnston will give a speech to students and dignitaries.
"I was a bloke who left school at 14 and went to England at 15," Johnston said.
"I wasn't educated in the classic sense."
His parents sold their Speers Point home to fund his trip to north-east England in 1975 to try to become a professional footballer at Middlesbrough Football Club.
Soon after he arrived, the Middlesbrough, coach Jack Charlton told him he was the worst footballer he had ever seen.
"Jack Charlton was 100 per cent right," Johnston said.
To become a better player, he practised daily for four to five hours using a ball and a car park wall at the football club.
During that time, he developed a scientific and mathematical method to improve his skills.
Johnston traced the idea for the Predator boot to that period.
This method led to him making the Middlesbrough first team at age 17 and his record transfer to Liverpool in 1981.
Before he left for England, Johnston was an A-grade student at Booragul High School.
He had a love for science and maths, instilled by his school-teacher mum Dorothy.
While practising in the car park, he came to realise that the ball was "a perfect object".
As he practised, his recurring thought was: "What part of foot on what part of ball to what effect?".
This was the seed of the scientific idea for the Predator boot, which featured a ribbed design that improved a player's ability to kick and swerve the ball.
He got to work and feverishly developed at least 1000 prototypes in the early 1990s.
Adidas, Puma, Nike, Reebok and Umbro all rejected the concept.
Frustrated but not willing to give in, he showed a prototype of the boot to German football legend Franz Beckenbauer, who wore it and loved it.
Immediately after, Adidas agreed to license the patent from him.
Johnston and Adidas launched the boot in Las Vegas in 1994 ahead of the World Cup in the US.
The boot became a phenomenon, making Adidas billions.
Johnston initially received a royalty from each boot sold, but it became so successful that Adidas pressured him to sell the patents.
In 1998, Adidas took ownership of the boot in contested circumstances.
Johnston has been approached by Netflix and others to tell the inside story of the Predator.
For years, he has been upgrading the boot concept to further improve performance.
"I'm still an inventor. I have the next Predator ready to go," he said.
"My guiding principles have always been innovation and the truth. That's the message I'll be passing on to our future leaders in the university speech."
