Nikos Vergos: Becoming Real Madrid’s first Greek player, embracing Melbourne Victory

The vocation of Greek striker Nikos Vergos has been a travel filled with galore stops, whether it beryllium playing successful the Greek Super League, representing Real Madrid’s B team, to present plying his trade astatine Melbourne Victory.

Vergos has represented 11 clubs successful total during his nonrecreational career, the latest being Melbourne Victory which helium joined successful the 2024/25 season.

The guardant has been such a journeyman that Victory is present lone the 2nd nine helium has played implicit 50 elder games for, with Panetolikos the lone team helium has represented much times.

“I consciousness very arrogant of this achievement, playing much than 50 games for Victory, due to the fact that it’s a very large nine and represents a batch of things that marque maine blessed and arrogant to beryllium present and to wear the jersey,” Vergos told Neos Kosmos.

He stated helium takes large pridefulness successful having been available and contributed to practically each crippled imaginable since joining, speaking glowingly connected the interaction his Greek Australian caput manager Arthur Diles has had connected him.

Nikos Vergos has appreciated his clip successful Australia, getting to acquisition from up adjacent the multiculturalism and the coffee.

“To beryllium honest, I person worked with a batch of coaches and what I person learned from Arthur (Diles) is to attraction much astir the extremity and beryllium focused there successful the box, to try to get amended wrong the container with my movements and finishing,” the striker said.

“He has helped maine connected this a batch with his staff, showing maine videos, doing other work aft training sometimes, whatever is necessary.”

Becoming Real Madrid’s archetypal Greek player

Vergos reflected connected a brainsick play successful clip astir ten years agone present when he, arsenic a 20-year-old, was brought successful connected indebtedness from Olympiacos to play for Real Madrid B’s broadside successful Spain’s 2nd part during the 2016/17 season.

“It was an astonishing experience, to beryllium honest. It’s something that I will besides beryllium arrogant of due to the fact that I think until present I’m the lone 1 Greek who played there,” helium said.

It is worth noting that Vergos is so the lone subordinate registered to FIFA arsenic Greek that has played for Real Madrid, though a Spanish Greek subordinate Christian Vassilakis besides represented the club’s academy aft Vergos.

The Greek striker explained the determination came astir for a fewer reasons.

“I was successful Spain the year earlier with Elche (on loan) and Real Madrid besides knew maine from the Youth Champions League which I played successful for Olympiacos,” helium said.

“So when I was successful Spain, they saw maine and they contacted my cause saying they wanted maine and I wanted them.”

Regarding the experience, helium said:

“Everything was perfect. Every item matters. You larn this there. You tin spot each the people, however they are working successful top level, however humble they are. Every single happening there is top level.”

When asked astir his vocation highlights frankincense far, Vergos (after removing Victory from the equation since his clip present is unfinished) remarked helium thinks very fondly of his years with Panetolikos.

“Panetolikos is where I archetypal played regularly successful the Greek Super League, and since then I consciousness I started to turn up arsenic a shot player.”

Victory is present 2nd successful Vergos’ vocation successful terms of games played, down lone Panetolikos.

Reflecting connected his galore moves betwixt clubs, helium noted:

“With each team, you larn antithetic things. You person to take the positives, you larn and you continue.”

He admitted it is hard having to uproot your beingness each six months – 1 year, particularly when helium has gone to countries where helium did not speak the language.

“From the different hand, I learned from these experiences. Because I was besides young, I was travelling and it was the best,” Vergos said.

“But I cannot contradict that it is besides important to beryllium astatine 1 team for much than a year, so you tin stabilise your beingness and truly get to cognize the radical that you are working for.”

Vergos spoke positively of his acquisition surviving successful Melbourne frankincense far, having enjoyed the multiculturalism of Australia.

He noted that, distant from football, helium takes joyousness successful appreciating the metropolis astir him by going retired and walking astir the parks and Yarra River.

“I similar to spell retired during the time to bask the bully weather and get coffee, due to the fact that present successful Melbourne you person very bully and tasty coffee.

Despite that, helium reiterated his committedness to the game: “I person to hole myself for training each day”.