Crawley Town player Nick Tsaroulla notched up his 100th appearance for the Reds recently. Here he talks about his career at Crawley Town and how much he loves the club. He also looks ahead to the Colchester United trip this Saturday
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00:00 Nick, thank you for joining us after a brilliant night on Tuesday for the team. We've travelled
00:06 to Colchester over the weekend, can I get your thoughts ahead of that game?
00:09 Yeah, we're going to be very confident, obviously from Tuesday night, beating a league one side.
00:14 We've got to go in there, give it everything, try and get that win.
00:18 Yeah, we've spoken to Scott a lot about the away form and how tricky it might have been
00:22 for the team, considering that some of the performances away from home have actually
00:26 been very good and we've put in some really good shifts but haven't necessarily come away
00:30 with as many points as perhaps we deserve. Has that been something that's tricky for the team?
00:34 I guess it doesn't look as good as I feel like we have been. Like you said, I think
00:41 we've been really good, putting in the good performances. It's just unfortunate we haven't
00:45 been able to come away with all three points. It's something that's been addressed and we've
00:50 discussed it as a group of players as well. We'll look to try and put that right.
00:56 Yeah, we spoke to Scott just a brief while ago and he was saying that Ben's been doing
01:01 a lot of work with the lads as well, Ben Gladwin the captain. How important is it to have those
01:06 senior members of the team, including yourself, because I suppose you've progressed now as
01:09 one of the more senior members of the team, to have these chats and really address what
01:14 the issue might be?
01:15 Firstly, I can't speak highly enough of Ben Gladwin. He's a top, top, top man. Obviously,
01:21 his quality as a player, everyone can see, but from behind the scenes, he's a real top
01:29 guy and someone who's a proper leader and someone you can always go to. I feel like
01:36 he's leading us really well. People like me have played a bit of games now and know the
01:43 club really well. I'm always here to help him and all the other boys as well.
01:48 Yeah, I suppose we've got a good group now, haven't we? The results at home have been
01:52 fantastic and we've picked up some really impressive results, using Choose Not Us as
01:58 an example, against some really impressive teams. This team can do a lot, can't they?
02:02 It's not like there's a lot to fix away from home, is there? It's something that
02:07 eventually will start to fall away.
02:09 Like I said, I don't think it's too much of the actual performances. I feel like it's
02:13 just the results. The gaffer always says we focus on performances and the results come.
02:20 That's what we've got to do. We've got to keep trying to improve, keep trying to get
02:23 better and hopefully the results will follow that.
02:25 Yeah, I suppose Colchester at the weekend is a great opportunity to do that. It's one
02:30 of the kinder away days for us. A little bit closer. We've had some long travel recently
02:34 and I'm sure the lads are just relishing the chance to get out there and try and pick up a win.
02:38 They are, yeah. I always say there's no easy games in this league. It doesn't matter where
02:42 they are, far, close, top of the league, bottom of the league. They're always so difficult.
02:47 We always have to go there and really be at our best.
02:50 You mentioned that. You picked up a lot of games. We all know that you played your 100th
02:55 game for us recently. Just talking about that, in the league this year there seems to be
03:01 some really impressive teams. Everyone seems to have taken up a notch. Obviously we know
03:05 we've had the Lots Counties, who we've already had to play a couple of times. Wrexham, who
03:08 we've already played. There's a lot of teams fighting for those promotion spots. Over the
03:12 last few seasons, do you think this is the strongest the league has been, do you think?
03:15 I think they've all been strong in different ways. There's definitely been a lot more money
03:20 being pumped to try and get those teams up the leagues. With more money comes better
03:27 players and I feel like it's definitely a difficult season. But yeah, they've all been
03:33 tough in their own way.
03:34 Saturday we'll be looking to get a win. How much of an impact can the fans have? We know
03:39 that you have a special relationship with them and you've got your chant firmly cemented
03:43 now. They can have a massive impact against us, can't they?
03:46 On a personal note, they know how much they mean to me. They mean a lot and I love every
03:52 single one of them. They really show their commitment when they come to the away games
03:59 as well as the home. We always try our best to send them home happy with a win.
04:04 Nick, somebody's bound to correct me but I think you're the only player to start every
04:12 single league game so far this season. What do you put that down to this year? Because
04:17 before you've had a couple of injuries and you haven't had huge long runs. But what do
04:21 you put that down to this year?
04:22 To be fair, the last few seasons I feel like I've played quite a good amount of games.
04:28 Obviously, I just got a little bit unlucky with injury but I've really tried to address
04:35 my whole body head to toe. I've worked with Rick quite hard, he's helped me a lot. I feel
04:41 like I've put a lot of work in off the pitch as well. We've worked smart in certain key
04:47 areas. Like I said, touch wood, I feel very blessed right now to be on that track and
04:52 have those stats. I just want to keep it going. Hopefully that's not the kiss of death.
04:58 I don't like talking about it. I just like putting my head down and carrying on. When
05:03 the season finishes it's nice to look back and reflect. Touch wood, I can keep that going.
05:08 You played your 100th game recently. When you signed, I think it was October 2020, same
05:15 day as Max Wattis, did you ever imagine that you'd still be here now playing your 100th
05:22 game for Crawley?
05:23 I don't know. I try not to look too far ahead. It's a true blessing. It was quite emotional
05:31 the other night as well from where I started and what I was like on the first game to now
05:37 and how much I've grown as a player. I feel like I've done my best to really help the
05:42 club over the last few years, whether we've been flying or in difficult situations. I
05:47 feel like I always try and give my best. To get 100 games in the EFL is pretty cool.
05:56 How would you reference that, what you've been like from when you started to where you
06:00 are now? What would you say are the main differences in your game?
06:03 I just think the maturity. It grows with experience. You pick up on a few things, you learn off
06:08 people, the game teaches you. It's your best teacher. You look back and reflect on how
06:14 you can improve. I've definitely improved as a player and as a person on and off the
06:18 pitch throughout that period.
06:21 How is Scott Lindsay? He came in in January. How is he helping you as a player as well?
06:26 He's top. It's obvious to see. He's a top manager. The way he's got us playing. He came
06:34 in when we were in a difficult spot and we managed to dig ourselves out of it and survived.
06:40 Now he's really stamping his style and we're all bought into it. I'm enjoying myself. I
06:48 just want to keep learning and improving under him and see where we can go.
06:53 You mentioned Ben Gladwin being a great influence in the dressing room. Do the younger players
06:56 look up to you now? Someone who's played the most games for Crawley Town currently. Do
07:01 they look up to you and ask you for advice as well?
07:02 I'd like to think so, yes. I definitely have chats with younger players. Everyone knows
07:08 I'm always there for them whenever they need. I'm never going to be the guy who's running
07:13 around screaming and shouting in the changing room. Everyone knows that when it comes that
07:17 time I'm always there. They can always turn to me. Hopefully they do look at me like that.
07:24 It's definitely something that I enjoy.
07:26 And another hundred to go during Atalanta?
07:28 Exactly that. We stay in the present. We just enjoy the moment that we're in. You can look
07:34 back after, like I'm doing now, on that hundredth and see how far I've come. I'd be really proud
07:40 of myself. A big thanks to my friends and family who've supported me through it all.
07:46 Football's not easy. Everyone knows that who's in it. To achieve a hundred games for a club
07:53 that I genuinely love, gave me my chance. I love this club to bits. To play a hundred
07:59 games for them and not forever be connected with Crawley is brilliant.
08:04 And finally from me, you've been through a few managers in a very short time. Is this
08:10 the most exciting period you've had at Crawley with the style of football that you're playing?
08:15 I think so. We've got a great squad. We understand what we want to do, how we want to improve.
08:22 We've got a system. It's definitely exciting. I don't like to talk about it too much. I
08:29 just like to live it and enjoy it and see how far we can go and keep trying to improve.