Ambitious Antonis wants to be ‘fighting near the top’

Western Sydney Wanderers captain and A-League Men’s hopeful George Antonis says his team won’t just settle for safety in the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s.

Antonis has been in the academy set-up at Western Sydney since its inception.

The technical midfielder was the only player to stay on with the club for their inaugural NPL NSW Men’s season.

The club underwent significant turnover on and off the pitch with a raft of new players coming in as well as coach Andrew Christiansen.

Antonis heaped praise on the set-up at the Wanderers highlighting the crucial role the club have played in his career so far.

“They’ve had a big say in my development as a player,” Antonis said.

“They’ve always provided me with good opportunities.

“It’s where I want to play. They’ve put a lot of trust in me, and I hope to pay it back by playing A-League one day.”

With the 20-year-old’s ambitions of ALM football, he continues to wait patiently for his opportunity in the Wanderers’ top-flight team.

While he looks for his breakthrough moment, Antonis has been given the armband for the Academy side in 2023.

The increased level of competition was a big step up for Antonis and his squad of fellow talented youngsters.

It was the first taste of senior football for the whole group, and Antonis was charged with leading the team out.

They got off to the best possible start with a blistering first-half performance against another newly-promoted academy outfit Central Coast Mariners, guiding them to their first win. However, Antonis’ team have struggled to pick up wins since, with a troubling trend of defensive lapses.

In recent times, the side have picked up a couple of important wins but remain in the relegation places heading into round 15.

Antonis explained that it’s been good to mix with a new group this year and that if the side continue to develop, they can challenge for the top places.

“I’ve been used to playing around similar squads or the same players, but I think everyone enjoys meeting new people and different playing styles,” he explained.

“I feel like we’ve got the quality and we’ve shown that in glimpses of matches.

“We’ve had some good performances this year, but in some games, we might let ourselves down in the last 10-15 minutes or we switch off.

“I think that’s part of maturing, if we can keep on learning, hopefully, we will be closer to the top because we’re not just happy with staying up, we want to be fighting near the top eventually.”

The Wanderers face another relegation six-pointer against NWS Spirit this weekend and a victory would help ease the pressure on the team at the foot of the table.

Feature by Timothy Gibson, on Twitter @Timg123_