Sydney Olympic FC veteran player Will Angel has announced his retirement from soccer at the end of this season.
He hangs up the boots after 257 games (and counting) in a 20-plus year career that saw three NSW NPL Premierships and two NPL Championships.
Angel says its “bittersweet”, telling Neos Kosmos he looks forward to what’s next but finds it sad to be leaving behind a place he spent most of his life at.
With Olympic potentially participating in the National Second Tier Competition next year, the time is right for the veteran to finish up.
“Now that things are happening with the B-League, I feel like my time’s up and it is bittersweet, I missed out on that opportunity, but I’m happy for the next chapter of my life,” he told Neos Kosmos.
The name Angel is synonymous with the No.7 jersey for a generation of Olympic fans, and he remains one of the last links to the club’s time in the National Soccer League.
Angel began his soccer journey at Olympic in 2000 at 10 years old, in the club’s youth system, where he trained under the tutelage of Peter Katholos.
With his career in the balance due to his first serious injury at 18, Angel moved to Bankstown City Lions.
It is here he made his 1st Grade debut under Olympic legend Peter Tsekenis, before joining the Newcastle Jets youth team in 2009.
Angel says the aim was to go professional and while that didn’t eventuate, he did get a taste of it at the Jets.
“I matured a lot as a footballer there, we travelled a lot with the first team, we played curtain raisers before A-League games, we travelled interstate,” he said.
“I think that really matured me as a player, coming back to Olympic, then going to play first grade. I had a lot to develop, but I’m walking away hoping to help the next generation that come through.”
He eventually returned to Olympic at the age of 21, and would finally get his first start for the club in a Round 11 match against the Wollongong Wolves.
A Man-Of-The-Match performance would be a sign of things to come, a mature performance that proved as the arrival of a generational talent.
Over the next decade, Angel became a regular in the team with his professionalism, persistence and humility, especially in times of uncertainty for both the club and the sport, doing so while also working full-time.
Angel says much sacrifice was required in his work and personal life when it came to playing soccer, so it is “bit of a relief to move on,” despite the sadness.
As he prepares for his life,Angel will look view Olympic as “home”.
“When I think of soccer, I just think of Olympic. There’s no other team I think, they’ll still be embedded in my life,” he said.
“They were the first team that I knew – Blue and white – I’ve got a Greek background – It was a good fit.”
Looking back, Angel says he’ll always remember moments with the Greek community, like walking in his old neighbourhood after winning a grand final and someone recognising him because they were Greek and their child took a photo with Angel.
Another memory was going out and ordering a gyros after a win and not having to pay because someone at the shop was an Olympic fan.
He’s taken aback by all the supportive messages he’s received and even from people he doesn’t know and wants his career to mean something to the next generation.
“Hopefully some of the young kids in the club, can kind of pursue the same sort of career I had if they don’t go to the next level because it’s a lot of sacrifice,” he said.
“To see all the nice messages and the response I’ve had on social media and when I see people in my local community it makes me happy knowing that not only am I recognised as a club icon, but most importantly is a good person.
“That’s probably the thing that I want to walk away with and I’m content with that.”
