Seeking to rebound from the "toughest" year of his professional career, Marco Tilio will return to Melbourne City on loan from Celtic for the 2024-25 A-League Men season with the hope that regular football will help kickstart his European career and re-establish himself in the Socceroos' fold.
After three glittering seasons with City and selection in Australia's 2022 FIFA World Cup squad, Tilio broke the A-League transfer record when he moved to Glasgow on a deal worth more than AU$2 million last year, signing a five-year contract with the Scottish giants.
But after missing his new side's preseason with a torn quad -- robbing him of a chance to impress new coach Brendan Rodgers, who replaced Ange Postecoglou the week before his signing was announced -- he would play just 27 minutes in Scotland before returning to City on loan in February after representing the Socceroos at the Asian Cup.
Rotten luck continued to haunt the 22-year-old upon his return, as injuries restricted him to just four games with City, missing their dramatic elimination final loss to crosstown foes Melbourne Victory. His troublesome quad then ruled him out of Australia's squad for the AFC Under-23 Championship in April, where the Olyroos were eliminated in the group stages without scoring a single goal and missed qualification for the Paris Olympics.
"It's probably been my toughest year of being a professional," Tilio told ESPN. "Getting that dream move to Celtic and then pretty much from there, everything didn't fall into place.
"Being injured there and then coming back here on loan to play football and help qualify for the Olympics, it pretty much all was taken away from me through other injuries.
"It was a tough year being out [around] eight months of the past 12, that's why I hope to have a really good preseason this year. I've got plenty of time to get myself fit and strong and ready to have a good year.
"You spend a lot of time when you're alone, doing rehab. Mentally, it can get hard. It tested me and really how much I wanted to be who I wanted to be in football. It made me see who I truly am.
"I've come out the other side, about to finish my last rehab for this injury, and I feel I put myself in my best possible position to be fully fit."
Tilio anticipates being ready for selection City's opening match of the Australia Cup, which will take place away to the winner of a Brisbane Roar and Perth Glory playoff on Aug. 3.
The winger shapes as a key contributor to a City side that will also welcome back Socceroo stalwart Mat Leckie and Andrew Nabbout after injury-ravaged seasons in the coming campaign but will be without striker Jamie Maclaren, who departed this offseason after the expiration of his contract.
Conversations between the youngster and the club's brass over his role have highlighted the importance of getting him around the playing group and on the pitch, be that on the wing or in the midfield, music to the ears of a player desperate to get as many minutes as possible in 2024-25.
"I want to play football first and foremost," he said. "Hopefully, good performances will lead to other good things. A good year here at City looks to set me up nicely to go back overseas and get back into the Socceroos fold.
"I wanted to be somewhere where I knew I was going to play as much football as possible because I didn't want to go two years without playing football.
"It was always Melbourne City. I was contacted by a few clubs in the league and also clubs overseas but ultimately I made the decision I should stay here for the year."
After their worst season since 2018-19, City itself is looking to re-establish its place atop the A-League Men totem pole this coming season, with coach Aurelio Vidmar handed a two-year contract to lead the rebuild.
"With the squad we have, we have full belief that we can turn last season around and come back to where we know the club should be, and that's the top of the table," Tilio said.
"We have the players to do so, we have the quality, we have the facilities, so we have no excuses not to be there, in and around there for the whole season."