Melbourne City forward Marco Tilio has been rewarded for a sensational end to he 2022-23 Isuzu UTE A-League campaign, earning the April nomination for Young Footballer of the Year.
Tilio, 21, scored four of his nine league goals this season in April; those four goals came in the form of a pair of braces scored against Wellington Phoenix in Round 23, and against Western Sydney Wanderers in the last round of the regular season. He featured in six games throughout April, drawing two and winning four as City cruised to a first-place finish.
Tilio made history this season as the first A-League Men player to record four-consecutive Premierships. He won the first with Sydney FC in 2019-20; his subsequent move to City has resulted in a further three lifts of the Premiers Plate, all in succession.
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Finishing top of the table booked City an automatic spot in this season’s final four. The Premiers will face off with Sydney FC across the two-legged Semi Final for a spot in the title decider.
The first leg kicks off on Friday, May 12 at Allianz Stadium, the home of the Sky Blues. Speaking to AAP in the build-up to the Semi Finals, Tilio expressed his eagerness to show his former side what they’ve missed out on across the past three season.
“Going back home, most importantly it’s always a joy to play in front of my family and friends, that’s first and foremost,” Tilio said.
“Then coming up against my old team where I spent most of my junior years, I go out and I get to show them I guess you could say what they missed out on, that’s what I’ll try to do.
“But I’ll do what I need to do for the team first before any of that.”
Tilio’s April Young Footballer of the Year nomination comes after Western United striker Noah Botic claimed the honours in March. Botic scored two goals in three league fixtures throughout March, carrying on a scoring streak that began in February that garnered five goals in as many games.
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YOUNG FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR – 2022-23 ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE NOMINEES
- OCTOBER/NOVEMBER: Calem Nieuwenhof – Western Sydney Wanderers
- DECEMBER: Carlo Armiento – Brisbane Roar
- JANUARY: Callan Elliot – Wellington Phoenix
- FEBRUARY: Jordan Bos – Melbourne City
- MARCH: Noah Botic – Western United
- APRIL: Marco Tilio – Melbourne City
