A-League: Fit and firing Western Sydney Wanderers midfielder Mitch Nichols ready to take on Victory

MITCH Nichols says he’s as fit as he’s been since he lit up the A-League for Melbourne Victory in 2013.

MITCH Nichols says he’s as fit as he’s been since he lit up the A-League for Melbourne Victory in 2013.

Now the Western Sydney attacking midfielder is readying himself to wreak havoc on his former club in Saturday night’s mouth-watering top-of-the-table blockbuster at Pirtek Stadium.

Nichols, 26, has always had the talent.

There were times when he was utterly brilliant in Brisbane, where he spent six seasons and won two championships before admittedly becoming a little stale.

He left for Victory in the winter of 2013 in search of revitalisation and found it, shooting in to the Socceroos mix with 14 blistering games to start 2013-14, before an ill-fated move to Japanese club Cerezo Osaka in January 2014 thwarted his World Cup ambitions.

A loan deal in Perth, where he played 14 games last season, helped him re-find some of his mojo.

But clearly something with Western Sydney — and more specifically Wanderers coach Tony Popovic — agrees with him, because he is one of the A-League’s hottest players right now.

He’s linking beautifully with Spanish midfielders Andreu, Dimas Delgado and Alberto Aguilar, he’s scoring for fun — five goals this season is as many as he’s netted in his past three seasons combined — and he’s second only to Melbourne City’s Aaron Mooy in the NewsCorp Player of the Year award.

Nichols said an upfront phone chat with Popovic while holidaying in the off-season convinced him that coming to Wanderland was exactly what he needed.

Mitch Nichols celebrates scoring for Melbourne Victory.

“From there I had a good pre-season, which is something I probably missed out on in Perth,” Nichols said.

“I’m fit and probably in the best shape I’ve been in for a few years, maybe since Melbourne. I’m enjoying my football and it’s definitely showing.

“I’m probably lighter than when I was in Perth, but I’m pretty much the same as I was in Melbourne. I had a big, extended holiday after I left Perth, so I’ve definitely lost three or four kilos since I started pre-season.

“Scoring more was something I really set myself for at start of the season. I think I’ve always been a goal threat, but it’s been good to contribute more in that way.

“Just with my position behind the striker, I’m always the second or third man in to the box. It’s my job to create and then get in to goalscoring positions.

“I’ve been working hard during pre-season on my composure in the box and I feel like I’m confident and I know what I’m going to do when I get a chance now.”

In winning their sixth-consecutive match with a 2-1 defeat of Brisbane last week, the Wanderers moved to the top of the table and also became just the fifth side in A-League history to go on such a winning run.

But Saturday’s clash with Victory — the defending A-League and FFA Cup champions — is the real litmus test.

Many are tipping this to be a possible grand final preview and Nichols admits the build-up has an extra edge to it.

“Melbourne had a great year last year and they’ve already won the FFA Cup this year,” he said.

“Definitely, everyone has been gunning for them. This is going to be a great test for us.

“They won’t be happy about the result in Wellington last week, but if we continue what we’ve been doing then, we’re at home, so we’re expecting to turn up and get the three points if we play well.”

Originally published as A-League: Fit and firing Western Sydney Wanderers midfielder Mitch Nichols ready to take on Victory