Tsaroulla Cherishes Play-Offs with Notts County in 2026

Nick Tsaroulla is grateful for every moment playing for Notts County after a near-fatal car crash in 2017.

Tsaroulla Reflects on Career Near-Miss Nick Tsaroulla has developed a deep appreciation for his football career after a near-fatal car crash in 2017 nearly cost him his life. The 27-year-old winger joined Notts County in the summer of 2024 from Crawley Town. Tsaroulla was involved in a head-on collision while driving to Tottenham training, survived the crash but endured months of pain that kept him out of the game for a year and threatened to end his career before it ever really got going. He was released by Spurs in 2018 but found his way back into the game with Brentford's B team before going on to thrive at Crawley Town. ## Tsaroulla Determined to Make the Most of Time Tsaroulla plays with plenty of energy on the wing and talks passionately about giving everything to Notts' promotion cause. He admits reflecting on what he went through nearly nine years ago and how it has shaped him as a footballer 'hits a nerve' as he steadies himself with a promise 'not to cry again on TV'. Tsaroulla is determined to make the most of his time on the pitch, having missed last year's play-off campaign after having to undergo surgery to remove his appendix. ## Tsaroulla's Inspiration for Notts County Players Notts head coach Martin Paterson says Tsaroulla's story is really important and that there are '23-26 players, if not more, in there and they've all got their own individual stories about why they're here, why they want to achieve something'. Paterson believes all players in the Magpies dressing room can draw on Tsaroulla's early career trauma and prepares them for matches by harnessing their individual stories and pasts. He believes this approach helps the team strike a balance of emotion, passion, and control, ultimately focusing on the future. ## Tsaroulla's Quotes on the Importance of Football Tsaroulla talks passionately about the importance of football, saying 'when you have the opportunity to play football like this, everyone hypes it up like it's the end of the world, but it's not.' He also stated, 'we will play like our lives depend on it but at the end of the day, they don't. That does relieve the pressure.' Tsaroulla believes that having a perspective on the game makes it easier to focus on the present and not get too caught up in the hype.