Tara Murray
The lure of another A-League men’s title keeps Western United’s Nikolai Topor-Stanley coming back for more.
At the age of 36, Topor-Stanley could quite easily hang up the boots and focus on life after soccer.
But speaking ahead of becoming just the second player to play 350 A-League games, Topor-Stanley said the fire in the belly was still there.
“I believe this club is very ambitious since its going places,” he said of United which he joined this season
“We’re writing our own history as we speak and that was attractive to me. This group of players and coaching staff are building fans and building infrastructure in terms of stadiums.
“Once it’s done, it’s going to be something that changes sporting history in Australia.
“I want to win championships.”
The motivation that drives Topor-Stanley can easily be traced back to early in his career, when he considered giving away the game.
He came through the youth ranks as the old National Soccer League collapsed.
With plenty of uncertainty over the future of soccer in the country, Topor-Stanley like many others were left in the lurch.
“I would be lying to say I wasn’t considering other options,” he said.
“We didn’t know if there was going to be a professional league and the opportunities were scarce.
“It took me a few trials at different clubs and a few disappointments along the way.
“I remember having a conversation with my mum. She kind of said you’ve gone too far to give it away when I was down in the dumps as a 20-year-old.”
Since then he has played with Sydney, Perth Glory, Newcastle Jets, Western Sydney Wanderers and finally Western United.
Throw in four Socceroos caps and a number of under-20 and under-23 matches, its been a career of a lot of highs.
On field, Topor-Stanley said the highlight of his A-League career was the Asian Championships win with the Western Sydney Wanderers which he said put Australian soccer on the map.
But it’s another memory which he treasures the most.
“Walking out with my kids for the first time, I didn’t think I would experience those emotions,” he said.
“Knowing they can watch me on tv and they can hopefully have some memories, that probably is the most special thing to me at the moment.
“It’s nice to have some photos and memories.”
While one could be forgiven for looking back on highlights and such a milestone, Topor-Stanley made it clear that a win against Melbourne City, was the most important thing.
“It’s something I’m proud of and I’m hoping to share that with my family and kids on the weekend,” he said.
“But there’s a game to win too. That’s the first and foremost thing on my mind.”
The milestone is the first of possibly two big ones. Andrew Durante’s record is 357 games is not far away.
Topor-Stanley isn’t focusing on that, just enjoying his soccer.
“I’ve seen what it’s like not to be in football,” he said.
“It’s the best job in the world. For all the hard work, it’s worth it in the end, it’s a privilege.”
