Celtic outcast Marco Tilio admits future 'up in the air'
The 23-year-old was sent on loan to Melbourne City after suffering two severe hamstring injuries at Celtic.
And he's due to return to Parkhead for the new season, where he still has three years left on his deal, following his £1.5 million move two years ago.
But despite being delighted at his homeland triumph, Tilio doesn't know his next move.
Read more: Forgotten Celtic star could feature at Club World Cup after dramatic play-off
A day that changed Celtic: Martin O'Neill on emotion, legacy & success 25 years later
He said: "I feel in a really good place.
"My future is obviously up in the air at the moment, so I'm unsure what is going to happen.
"It's always been about just playing well. I know when I'm playing well that people are always watching.
'I want to do everything I can to help Australia qualify for another World Cup.
"I took everything in from last camp and put myself in the position now where I feel I'm better for it. I just want to execute everything that I know that I can, and put myself in the position to hopefully be in the squad and play.
"It's been 18 months since I've actually stepped on the pitch for the national team.
"So I think it's at that time now that I put myself in a position to play well, get an opportunity to do well, and hopefully, sort of cement a spot in there.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Pep Guardiola confirms two Man City transfer decisions before Club World Cup
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has spoken about the club's squad planning ahead of next season amid speculation over stars about to enter the final year of their contracts Pep Guardiola has confirmed Manchester City goalkeepers Ederson and Stefan Ortega will remain with the club next season. The Catalan coach revealed the Premier League side appear unlikely to dip into the market to improve their options in net. Ederson and Ortega have shared the net at the Etihad Stadium for a number of years, with the former taking the no.1 slot for Guardiola's side. The duo are both set to enter the final year of their contracts however, increasing speculation that a change could soon be on the cards in goal at City. City have little time for rest before they are called upon for Club World Cup duty. Their first match takes place against Wydad AC on June 18. There is an opportunity to move for new players, with a transfer window open until June 10 but Guardiola appears content with his options for the moment. Though goalkeeper was an area of discussion with the club's hierarchy. "We have spoken about the situation regarding squad planning and the two goalkeepers we have will continue," Guardiola told reporters at a golf event in Catalonia on Monday. That did not prevent the ex-Bayern Munich boss being taken to task over Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia. The shotstopper saw an approach by Arsenal last summer, while Barcelona appear to be in pole position for his signature this year, despite reported interest from the Gunners and City. "Joan Garcia is a really good goalkeeper, but City are linked with 500 players in every transfer window," Guardiola said. "He's an Espanyol player and I don't know what happen, but I'm told by the Espanyol guys [playing in the golf event] he's an extraordinary goalkeeper. The references we have are very good." City are already intending on leaving at least two bodies at home for their Club World Cup adventure in the United States. Midfield star Mateo Kovacic is to undergo surgery after nursing a heel injury. The Croatian will miss the tournament and be unavailable until the start of next season. Guardiola had hinted that the club were trying to manage the player's injury when he left him out of the FA Cup final squad as a precaution. The Manchester club are also said to have opted against including James McAtee in their squad. The 22-year-old will instead join up with England's pre-tournament training squad ahead of the under-21s Euros in Slovakia.
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Reuters
FIFA's inaugural Club World Cup set to kick off in the US amid challenges
June 3 (Reuters) - FIFA's billion-dollar gamble to revolutionise club football begins a week on Sunday with plenty of cash up for grabs but questionable enthusiasm as 32 teams prepare to contest the expanded Club World Cup in 12 stadiums across the United States. The tournament – designed as a glittering showcase ahead of the 2026 World Cup – has had to contend with the prospect of empty seats along with controversial qualification rules and player welfare concerns after an exhausting European season. Lionel Messi's Inter Miami face Saudi Arabia's Al Ahly in the opening fixture on June 15 at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium, with tickets still widely available days before kickoff. A glance at FIFA's website shows lots of tickets available, including for the July 13 final at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. Messi's presence underscores the tournament's contentious foundations. Inter Miami gained entry by topping Major League Soccer's regular season standings, despite losing in the first round of the playoffs – a decision critics say shows FIFA's desperation to have the Argentina great at their inaugural showpiece. FIFA's decision to give the host nation a spot and award it to Inter Miami underlined the opaque nature of the qualifying criteria for the tournament, which won't feature Liverpool, Barcelona or Napoli who have all just been crowned champions of three of the most prestigious leagues in Europe. Apart from the winners of each confederation's premier club competitions, teams qualified according to a ranking based on their performances over a four-year period. There is also the case of Club Leon, the 2023 CONCACAF Champions Cup winners, who were excluded from the tournament just over a month ago due to having shared ownership with another qualifier. The spot has gone to MLS's Los Angeles FC. Nailing down a last-gasp $1 billion TV rights deal with sports streaming platform DAZN six months before the tournament means a total of $2 billion in expected revenues. That led FIFA to announce a total prize pot of $1 billion, with the winning club to receive up to $125 million. That figure represents 25% more than Paris St Germain earned from their entire 17-match Champions League campaign. But this largesse has not quelled concerns about player welfare, with the global players union FIFPro taking legal action against FIFA over a tournament that further compresses the precious recovery time between gruelling seasons. Furthermore there is still concern over the playing surfaces after last season's Copa America, when many headlines focused on the sub-par conditions and smaller pitch dimensions. Those pitches, measuring 100 by 64 metres, were 740 square metres smaller than FIFA's standard size, prompting widespread discontent among players and coaches. FIFA has given assurances that this time the NFL stadiums hosting the matches will meet their specifications, confirming that all venues will feature natural grass and adhere to the standard regulation dimensions of 105 by 68 metres. Divided into eight groups of four teams, top contenders include Real Madrid, winners of six of the last 12 Champions League titles, plus German champions Bayern Munich and 2023 Premier League and Champions League winners Manchester City. European champions Paris St Germain are the in-form team heading into the tournament after their historic 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the Champions League final on Saturday. But they must survive a tough Group B featuring South American and Brazilian champions Botafogo and 2024 CONCACAF winners Seattle Sounders plus Spanish giants Atletico Madrid. Whether you call it soccer or football, for FIFA the tournament represents a dress rehearsal and a referendum on America's appetite for the sport and on the world governing body's vision for its commercial future ahead of the 2026 World Cup being co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
‘I don't know why I can't get a job' – Rangers cult hero quizzed on whether Old Firm past is denying him opportunities
He reckons people still think he acts like he did on the pitch - and called one of his old Celtic enemies "one of the nicest people you can meet" OUT OF THE GAME OUT OF THE GAME 'I don't know why I can't get a job' – Rangers cult hero quizzed on whether Old Firm past is denying him opportunities Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FORMER Rangers star Nacho Novo is desperate for a job in football management. But he has been left scratching his head as to why he hasn't had more opportunities. Sign up for the Rangers newsletter Sign up 3 Nacho Novo was a cult hero during his time at Rangers Credit: Alamy 3 Novo during his time with Lexington SC in the USA 3 He's been talking about his hunt for a full-time managerial job Credit: LET ME BE FRANK The ex-Gers striker returned to Scottish football with Drumchapel United as part of the coaching staff last year. Drumchapel currently ply their trade in the West of Scotland Football League Premier Division - the sixth tier of the SPFL pyramid. While Novo admits he loves working with the part-timers but has found himself questioning why, after such a glittering playing career, that he's been passed over for other coaching jobs. It was reported last year that Novo applied for the Raith Rovers job when Ian Murray was bizarrely sacked just one game into the season. But the Kirkcaldy club appointed Neil Collins as his successor. Novo, 46, retired in 2017 after having played in the top flights of Spain, Scotland and Poland and winning seven trophies (six with Gers and one with Legia Warsaw). He went through his coaching badges before landing his first job as a coach at Lexington SC in USL League One (the third tier of football in the United States). He initially served as assistant manager and as the head coach of the Under-23s before being promoted to the interim role in September 2023. But he left and within a year had returned to Scotland. After a full season with Drumchapel, Novo has admitted he is still chasing a dream of opening a football academy if he doesn't get a full-time job in management. Rangers fans react as 49ers takeover completed Speaking on the Let Me Be Frank podcast, Novo said: "I've been at Drumchapel for a whole season now and I love it. "Especially because it's proper football, that's how I'd say it! Proper tackles! "We had a good group of boys, some have been pros. They did well this season." Drumchapel finished sixth in the Premier Division this season. And despite his reputation as a former Rangers fan favourite, Novo insists he never had any added grief on the sidelines over the past year. But he does wonder if his association to the Light Blues has held him back when it comes to applying for other jobs higher up the food chain. He said: "I don't know why I can't get a job in football as a coach or anything like that. "Is it because of Rangers? I don't know. "It's probably because of how I was on the park but how I was on the park is not how I am as a person outside." Expanding on that point, Novo talked about how former Celtic foes like John Hartson remain good family friends to this day. And how one-time arch rival Neil Lennon is one of the nicest people he's met in football. Novo said: "People think about Neil Lennon for example, they think he's terrible, that he acts like he did on the pitch. He's one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. "John Hartson, he's a good friend of my family. "We played on the same park and hated each other but we respected each other. "On the pitch we were enemies and that was my mentality but outside of that I'm very quiet and a family man." Novo has been approached for a scouting job that would see him scour Scotland and the north of England for talent. But his main ambition is to open a cross-border football academy that would link his homeland and his adopted home. He said: "I tried to open a football academy here and in Spain. "I wanted to bring clubs from Scotland over to Spain for a tournament and bring Spanish teams here for the same thing. "But that takes a lot of insurance to do it right, a lot of admin and red tape. "That's my idea at the moment." Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
