For a 21-year-old, Brandon Borrello has made a sensational start to his Hyundai A-League career.
And as we’ve seen with his stunning performances in the AFC Champions League over the last couple of weeks, there’s still plenty more to come from the Brisbane Roar star.
Borrello is January’s nominee for the NAB Young Footballer of the Year Award after a string of fine performances for Roar in both the Hyundai A-League and ACL in recent weeks.
Roar flyer nominated for NAB Young Footballer Award
The highlight undoubtedly coming against Carlos Tevez’ cashed-up Shanghai Shenhua in their ACL qualifier when he opened the scoring with a blistering volley.
If that wasn’t enough he went on to set up Tommy Oar’s goal before the break as Roar qualified for the ACL group stage with a 2-0 win in China.
Talk about delivering on the big stage!
It’s the third straight season the pacy attacker has been nominated for the monthly award, underlining his reputation as one of the best and more consistent young players in the Hyundai A-League.
He’s certainly taken his game to a new level under coach John Aloisi after bursting onto the scene as a teenager in the 2013/14 Season.
Borrello has gone on to make 66 appearances in the Hyundai A-League, scoring 11 goals, including two from just eight starts this campaign.
Hailing from South Australia, Borrello started his youth career with the Modbury Jets club before joining the Roar’s youth set-up in 2011.
He was the leading scorer in Brisbane’s NYL squad in 2013, leading to him getting his shot in the Hyundai A-League during the club’s championship-winning campaign in 2013/14.
But it was last season where he really announced himself to the competition.
Striking up a thriving partnership with fellow youngster Jamie Maclaren, the pair were a devastating strike duo as Roar fell just one game short of the Hyundai A-League Grand Final.
While it took the Adelaide-born attacker to hit his best in the 2016/17 Season, recent performances suggest Borrello is set for a massive end to the campaign.
He became the first Australian player to score four goals in a single AFC Champions League game against Global FC last month while playing key roles in recent wins over Wellington Phoenix and Western Sydney Wanderers.
It’s why the Australian U-23 is not only destined for higher honours in his career but also a strong contender for this season’s NAB Young Footballer of the Year award.