On the 30th of June 2012, Nikolai Topor-Stanley, Mark Bridge, Shannon Cole and Michael Beauchamp were all unveiled as some of the Western Sydney Wanderers inaugural signings.
A lot has happened since this point in the club’s history especially for captain Nikolai Topor-Stanley who became the first Wanderer to reach 100 caps last Saturday against Newcastle Jets.
While Western Sydney has been home for Topor-Stanley the past four seasons, the central defender grew up in Australia’s capital. Finding a love and passion for football began at a young age with Topor-Stanley playing his junior football for Tuggerong United and Woden Valley before signing with Manly United where he began his senior football career.
Topor-Stanley’s breakthrough in the Hyundai A-League began at Sydney FC where he made 14 appearances before moving to the other side of the country the following season to play for Perth Glory.
At only 22 years of age, Topor-Stanley was a youngster that made waves in the league.
During his stint at the Glory he won Player of the Year, Players Player and Youth Player of the Year. Things escalated further still when Topor made his Socceroos debut against Singapore that same season.
Topor-Stanley concluded his time in Perth and moved to the Newcastle Jets where he played for the next three seasons before joining the Western Sydney Wanderers in their inaugural season.
It could be argued that it was only until he joined the Wanderers under the helm of Head Coach Tony Popovic that he fully developed into the player and person that he is today.
A player that could be best described as a well-oiled defensive machine and a person that has become a household name, a representative of Wanderers’ core values as a club and a hero to the younger generation.
There will always be an audible sigh of relief in the stands at Wanderland when Topor-Stanley’s name is announced in the starting line-up as he has become a welcome symbol of solidarity, reliance and most importantly the glue that keeps the team stuck together.
Continuous great performances and playing with his heart on his sleeve has cemented his place in the team with hopes that his 100th game for the Wanderers displays all his years of development and experience playing football.
It has now been 1,224 days since Topor-Stanley had first signed with the Wanderers back in 2012 and what a journey it has been. His ascension in the ranks now sees him stand proudly as captain of the Western Sydney Wanderers guiding his teammates in the Hyundai A-League, Westfield FFA Cup and AFC Champions League. He was also selected in the 2015 ACL Team of the Year and was crowned the NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers 2014/15 Player of the Year.
Topor-Stanley has walked out onto the field in his 100th match for the Western Sydney Wanderers: a special moment in his career and club history with it being certain that under his guidance the team is being led on the right path.
