It’s never easy to replace a captain, especially when that club captain is a colossus of a centre back like Marcelo. But luckily for the Wanderers they happened to have the perfect candidate waiting in the wings in goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas.
It doesn’t take long to see why, as he is one of the most experienced and top quality players at the club, as well as being a Western Sydney boy through and through.
Thomas grew up in the heartland of the west in Toongabbie, and represented some of the biggest clubs in the region in his junior years, calling Marconi Stallions and Blacktown City home.
He quickly rose to higher levels, having a spell in England before becoming a Melbourne Victory icon, winning two Grand Finals and a Joe Marston Medal in 2018.
After a stint in Denmark during COVID, he made the decision to come back to Australia and, more importantly, back home to the west.
He was arguably the highest profile goalkeeper to wear the gloves for the Wanderers since Ante Covic back in the clubs inception, and he represented a shift in the recruitment policy as the club looked to bring in players who understood what it meant to play for a proud club such as the Wanderers, who represented a diverse and hard working community.
He quickly endeared himself to the fans with his early performances, keeping clean sheets in his opening games (including one on the road against old side the Victory) as the Wanderers quickly marked themselves as one of the top sides in the competition.
Whilst the supporting cast in front of him may have changed throughout the season, he was an ever present in front of the sticks as he played in every game, with the Wanderers finishing in the top four and making the finals.
The numbers backed up his great performances, as the Wanderers had by far the best defence in the competition, with Thomas keeping the most clean sheets with 10; he was also named in the PFA team of the year.
The next season started in the same vein, as the Wanderers remained defensively solid thanks to the performances of Marcelo and Thomas.
Unfortunately for Thomas and the Wanderers, season 2023-24 ended up being more frustrating, with injuries severely hampering the side, and Thomas’ run in the side came to an end due to firstly international duty with the Socceroos at the Asian Cup, followed by an ankle injury he picked up on his return to the team.
He only played 17 times in the A-League season, being one of four goalkeepers to play in the league due to a crippling injury crisis hitting the club in the new year.
As a result of the disruption, the Wanderers narrowly missed out on the finals, though Thomas still performed to a high standard in goals, and he will now be given the chance to be the key leader in the side with the captains armband.
Not only is he a quality goalkeeper, but his passion for the side is evident, being a vocal presence throughout the game, with enthusiastic reactions to key saves.
He played once in the side’s Australia Cup run, before another unfortunate ankle injury kept him out in recent games, with his status for the round one Sydney Derby being unknown.
What is a certainty, is that Thomas is happy and is the perfect man to help lead a young and exuberant Wanderers side forward in the new era alongside new coach Alen Stajcic.
It’s a unique full circle moment for the Toongabbie kid, as he now captains the club from the place he calls home.
