Hunger game from Western Sydney Wanderers

HUNGER is difficult to define in a sportsman but Western Sydney Wanderers coach Tony Popovic managed to find 21 players eager to prove themselves.

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HUNGER is difficult to define in a sportsman but Western Sydney Wanderers coach Tony Popovic managed to find 21 players eager to prove themselves.

"Poppa" put together a squad only months before the A-League kick-off and now sees his side sitting on top of the competition.

Speaking at a Penrith Valley Chamber of Commerce breakfast function on Tuesday, the former Socceroo explained his intent when looking for players.

"There was certain criteria that we were looking for," Popovic said.

"The first thing was each player I spoke to, I spoke to individually.

"Each player needed to be hungry and be better than what he was. If I had any inkling that that player was content in just playing in the A-League we turned those players down."

Of their past 14 games the Wanderers have won 12, drawn one and lost one.

Despite their success Wanderers general manager John Tsatsimas is adamant there is more to come from the club.

"We are in a good place at the moment but there is a lot more work to be done," he said.

PLAYERS SIGNED

Tony Popovic has already started planning for next season by re-signing 13 players.

They are captain Michael Beauchamp, Ante Covic, Nikolai Topor-Stanley, Iacopo La Rocca, Jerome Polenz, Adam D'Apuzzo, Shannon Cole, Aaron Mooy, Mateo Poljak, Mark Bridge, Youssouf Hersi, Kwabena Appiah-Kubi and Reece Caira.

"We've signed 13 players for next year and are in the process of signing a couple more as we speak, and we hope to have that done shortly," Popovic said.

"We have a squad of 21, so there are still five or six spots available for the existing players.

"If there are players we feel can add more to the team we will certainly bring them into the squad."