Nikolai Topor-Stanley

Sydney FC

Stanley has had several short-term contracts with A-League club Sydney FC, firstly as a replacement for injured Jacob Timpano, and then Ruben Zadkovich, but was not signed by former Sydney FC coach Terry Butcher on a reported long-term deal despite his "outstanding performance" because of the club's salary cap problems. He is a defender and has previously played for NSW Premier League teams Manly United FC and Belconnen Blue Devils, as well as representing Australia in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. He was also selected to participate in the first training camp for the Beijing Olympics. On 15 July 2006, Topor-Stanley debuted for Sydney off the bench against Queensland Roar in the Pre-season Cup before scoring his first goal for the club against Newcastle Jets a week later. Topor-Stanley made his A-League debut on 27 August 2006 against the Central Coast Mariners. In the absence of Timpano, Topor-Stanley cemented a place in Sydney's first team, having started a number of Sydney FC's games in the 2006–07 A-League. Sydney coach Butcher was apparently "fuming" after hearing that he had developed a foot injury at an Olyroos training session before the first semi-final against Newcastle Jets. In the first qualifying game against Taiwan in Adelaide on 7 February 2007, Topor-Stanley scored two of the 11 goals – one with each foot.

Perth Glory

Stanley was rumoured to be following Sasho Petrovski and Alvin Ceccoli out of Sydney FC and it was…

Topor-Stanley contributed significantly to the Olyroos' win over Saudi Arabia at Hindmarsh Stadium on 28 March 2007 by scoring the first goal, a header from the near post in the 74th minute of the game. He was part of the Olyroos squad that represented Australia at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. In 2008, Topor-Stanley was named in Pim Verbeek's preliminary Australian squad which opened their World Cup qualifying campaign against Qatar on Wednesday 6 February in Melbourne but made his international debut against Singapore in March 2008. Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek included Topor-Stanley in the Socceroos squad that drew 0–0 against China in Kunming on 26 March 2008, that won against Ghana on and lost to China in Sydney on Sunday 22 June 2008. Topor-Stanley is the most capped Olyroos player representing Australia at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Verbeek selected Topor-Stanley for the Socceroos squad that played Indonesia to a nil-all draw on 28 January 2009 and for the squad that went on to play Kuwait in Canberra on 5 March 2009. Australia coach Ange Postecoglou revealed that Topor-Stanley could have made his return to the Socceroos at the World Cup but for his injury in the A-League grand final. In September 2014, Topor-Stanley was recalled to the Socceroos squad by Postecoglou to play UAE in UAE and Qatar in Qatar. In December 2014, Topor-Stanley was named in the provisional Socceroos Asian Cup squad.

As of mid 2024

Stanley was born in Canberra on 11 March 1985 to a Mauritian father, and a Polish-German mother. He holds dual Australian-Mauritian nationality.