EP 10: Nicholas Olsen - From the Wanderers to Kuwait and…

About this episode

Nicholas Olsen takes us through one of the most well-travelled careers in Australian football, from starting at Sutherland Sharks at 13 to playing professionally across Kuwait, the A-League, Vietnam, and the Maldives, and returning home as NPL NSW Player of the Year.In this episode of From First Touch to First Team, host Jan Schmidt sits down with Nicholas to trace a career that took him well beyond the standard Australian football pathway. Nicholas talks about starting his football at Sutherland Sharks in the under-13s, moving to the Western Sydney Wanderers academy in 2012 where he trained under Tony Popovic, and being released in 2015 without an A-League appearance.We move through the NPL NSW years that followed at APIA Leichhardt, Sydney United 58, and back to Sutherland Sharks, and the decision to sign for Al-Jahra SC in Kuwait rather than wait around for an A-League opportunity that might never come. Nicholas is candid about what daily life looked like as a professional in Kuwait, moving between Al-Jahra and Khaitan SC, and the honest comparison between the Kuwait Premier League and the A-League.He talks about finally landing that A-League contract with Brisbane Roar in 2021, and the move to Vietnam that followed. Signing a professional contract in a torrential downpour with Saigon FC, the wage dispute that ended it, and moving between SHB Đà Nẵng and Becamex Bình Dương in the V.League 1. He also opens up about his AFC Challenge League year in the Maldives with Maziya S&RC, and the misconception that going overseas somehow doesn't count as making it.We close with his return to NPL NSW and a career-best 2025 season at Wollongong Wolves that earned him NPL NSW Player of the Year, his return to Sutherland Sharks for 2026, and why he now believes the NPL is closer to the A-League than most people realise.Whether you are a young player chasing the dream, a parent supporting one, or a coach shaping the next generation, this is essential listening for anyone questioning what making it really means.IN THIS EPISODE▸ Starting his football at Sutherland Sharks as an under-13 ▸ Joining the Wanderers academy and training under Tony Popovic ▸ Being released without an A-League appearance and rebuilding through NPL NSW ▸ Signing for Al-Jahra SC in Kuwait and moving to Khaitan SC ▸ Playing Kuwait Premier League and AFC Cup football ▸ The A-League contract with Brisbane Roar ▸ Signing for Saigon FC in a torrential downpour in Vietnam ▸ Moving between SHB Đà Nẵng and Becamex Bình Dương in the V.League 1 ▸ AFC Challenge League football in the Maldives with Maziya S&RC ▸ Winning NPL NSW Player of the Year with Wollongong Wolves in 2025 ▸ Returning to Sutherland Sharks and the coaching path ▸ Why the NPL is closer to the A-League than most people think🎧 Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Leave a comment or send us a text on Instagram if you have a question.And remember: enjoy your football journey.