Sydney Olympic snap up 11 current players for 2018
Sydney Olympic have announced the first 11 players from its 2017 season that have recommitted to Sydney Olympic FC for the 2018 season.
While negotiations are still underway with other players from our 2017 squad, the following players have renewed their contracts and re-committed to Olympic for the upcoming 2018 season:
Paul Henderson
At 41 years-old, Paul Henderson has a wealth of experience under his belt from appearances with Leicester City as well as several A-League teams, and plenty of experience in the NPL. As Olympic’s custodian since 2011, Paul has proven to be a weapon between the sticks and a great mentor for young, developing players. With a great presence on and off the field, the 2017 joint Goalkeeper of the Year certainly adds a lot of valuable experience and knowledge to our 2018 squad.
Will Angel
Having spent more than half his life in blue and white, Angel has proven himself a true stalwart to Olympic. Touting some serious pace and accuracy, he’s had a very impressive year and is showing no signs of slowing down. Will is hungry for some silverware heading into his 16th year at Olympic after being part of our Championship winning squad in 2011. His leadership and loyalty will prove crucial to the squad in our 2018 campaign.
Niko Tsattalios
Niko has some very impressive experience under his belt, having played with Sydney FC, the Newcastle Jets and Wellington Phoenix in the A-League. Tsatallios joined our First Grade squad in 2015, having playing some of his youth football with Olympic, and has shown his tremendous value over these years. The speedy left-footer will bring some excellent skill and impact to the pitch next season.
Hagi Gligor
One of the strongest midfielder’s in the competition, Gligor has been a stand out player since he joined Olympic. With A-League experience with Sydney FC and Perth Glory, Hagi has an excellent balance of youth and experience that will lead him to further impress in coming seasons. Having proven to be great leader on and off the field, he will enhance our 2018 squad with his experience, skill and composure.
Jason Madonis
Another Olympic native, Madonis will be entering his tenth year at the club in 2018. A tough and competitive player, he’s a real threat on the pitch. At only 22 years-old, Jason has a big career ahead. Despite being young, Madonis is a core player in the squad and a loyal representative of Olympic on and off the pitch. We’re sure he will bring his strength and competitiveness to the squad for our 2018 campaign.
Tom Whiteside
After making his First Grade NPL debut with Marconi Stallions at only 16 years-old, Tom spent three years at the Newcastle Jets as a leader in their NYL team while training with their first team. Whiteside has impressed with his technical ability and defensive strength in his first season at Olympic, proving his versatility and determination and working his way into the starting line-up. He’ll be sure to add awareness and strong technical ability to our 2018 squad.
Darcy Burgess
As one of the youngest players in our squad, Darcy had his first real taste of First Grade football in 2017 and will look to further develop under Exteberria in the 2018 season. Having won Australia’s Nike Most Wanted competition in 2015, Burgess has excellent technical ability and has huge potential to excel as a footballer. He’ll be building on what has been a great debut season this year, while adding excellent technical ability and passion to our 2018 squad.
George Timotheou
Not only does George add some key power and strength to our defensive line, the tall defender brings a lot of physicality and great instincts to the team. The promising shot-stopper has proved invaluable to our squad since joining from Sydney FC Youth in the transfer window, quickly cementing a starting position. Despite being only 20 years-old, Timotheou adds significant strength and power to Olympic for 2018.
Jinya An
Jin has had an excellent first season at Olympic, proving to be a weapon on the wing. With great speed and accuracy, An has delivered some incredible performances in 2017 to earn himself several team of the week selections and a selection as a substitute in the NPL New South Wales ‘Team of the Year’. Jin has shown he has a lot of potential in the competition and will look to further excel in 2018 under Etxeberria and will bring pace and skill to the 2018 squad.
Jake De Marigny
After some promising performances in 2016, de Marigny re-signed for 2017 but was sidelined for the season due to injury. The young defender will look to kick back into gear in the 2018 season and pick up where he left off to reach his full potential in the NPL New South Wales competition. With an impressive football pedigree, Jake will bring strong defensive ability and determination to our 2018 campaign.
Stephen Athanaseris
A loyal Olympic native, Athanaseris has played his entire youth and senior career with the Club. He had an impressive season as captain of our U20s, earning a First Grade contract for the coming season. Stephen will look to get his first real taste of the NPL New South Wales First Grade competition in 2018 and will be sure to progress under Exteberria in the coming season. He will be sure to work hard to cement his position in the team in the 2018 season.
Unfortunately, Mitchell Stamatellis and Yianni Spyrakis have made the decision not to stay with Olympic for the 2018 season. While we are disappointed to see them go, we thank them for their service during their years at Olympic and wish them well for the future.
Head Coach, Gorka Exteberria, expressed his excitement in signing some of our most promising players for the season ahead.
“We are very pleased to have such strong players sign with us for the 2018 season,” Exteberria said.
“In these players is a great mix of youth and experience, with every player willing to develop and compete for Sydney Olympic.
“We are maintaining our commitment to focus on promoting development and fostering a professional environment for players to thrive in 2018, and our initial signings demonstrate a great foundation for our 2018 campaign.”
Olympic CEO John Boulous expressed his pleasure in successful negotiations and planning for the 2018 season.
“It’s great that we have been able to re-sign a large component of our players to kick start 2018,” said Boulous.
“We are still in negotiations with other players from our 2017 squad, along with new players looking to make Olympic home for 2018.
“The club will continue to advise its members and supporters on club news including player signings and movements as we continue to build our 2018 squad.”
-Sydney Olympic Press Release
