Mitch Nichols, who will leave Western Sydney Wanderers at the end of the month, has been charged after allegedly being caught with cocaine at a Sydney nightclub.
The 28-year-old midfielder, who has five Socceroos caps to his name, was allegedly caught with 1.1 grams of the drug in the early hours of Saturday morning in Double Bay, according to a News Corp report.
Nichols, who discovered last week that his contract with Wanderers will not be renewed, is due to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on 9 June.
“FFA takes matters such as this very seriously,” a Football Federation Australia spokesperson said. “The matter has been referred to the FFA integrity department, which has spoken to the club, and will be dealt with under the FFA code of conduct.”
The club’s former club vice-captain faces a lengthy ban if found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute and his prospects of signing for another A-League club appear slim.
Nichols has played for three other A-League teams – Perth Glory, Melbourne Victory and Brisbane Roar – during a 10-year senior career.
Wanderers released a statement on Wednesday saying the club was aware of the matter and that it was in contact with FFA.
“The Western Sydney Wanderers remains totally committed to its anti-drugs stance and will continue to reinforce the club’s zero-tolerance message,” the statement said.
“While Mitch was released by the club prior to the incident, the player’s wellbeing remains a priority and every support will be offered to him during this time.”
