Celtic winger, Marco Tilio, has opened up on his ‘dream move’ to Celtic and how the year he spent in Scotland was one of the toughest of his career.

Described as a ‘genuine technician‘, Brendan Rodgers’ capture of Tilio from Melbourne City made the young Aussie Celtic’s most expensive signing ever from Australia.

Highly rated by Hibs striker, Martin Boyle, there was genuine excitement surrounding the capture of the then-21-year-old but, so far, it just hasn’t worked out for him.

The youngster made just two appearances for Celtic amassing 28 minutes and is now back at his old club on loan where he is not due to return to Scotland until the end of next season.

Celtic year was ‘toughest’ of Marco Tilio’s career

Marco Tilio moved back to Melbourne on loan in January this year where he has made just four appearances scoring one goal for the club but did win the Player of the Month for February.

However, an injury sustained in April has curtailed his time in Australia but now he has fully recovered, Tilio is ready to go for the new season ahead and opened up on the ‘toughest year’ ever at Celtic.

Tilio said [ESPN], “It’s probably been my toughest year of being a professional.

“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.”

The Celtic fans will be hoping that Tilio has a successful season out on loan and returns to Celtic like a new man.

The wing positions were one of Celtic’s weakest areas of the team after the departures of Jota and Liel Abada last season and if Tilio can find the form that made him Australia’s most expensive export then the Parkhead club could still have a serious player on their hands.

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