In a major coup, Melbourne Victory has signed Johnny Warren medallist and club Golden Boot winner Marco Rojas on a two-year contract.
Rojas made 50 appearances for Victory from 2011-13 before spending the past three years in Europe.
The 24-year-old and his German club VfB Stuttgart mutually agreed to part ways this week, paving the way for his return to Victory.
Kevin Muscat was part of the coaching staff at Victory when Rojas arrived for his first stint at the club, first as an assistant and later as head coach.
Rojas will also reunite with former teammates including Leigh Broxham, Nick Ansell, Lawrence Thomas, Jason Geria and Scott Galloway.
“This is another significant signing for our club as we continue to prepare for the new A-League season,” Muscat said.
“We all know the quality Marco possesses. We’re excited to see him return to Victory and I’m sure our fans will welcome him back.”
Rojas was born in New Zealand and signed his first Hyundai A-League contract with Wellington Phoenix in 2009, where he played for two seasons.
He then crossed to Victory, making 23 appearances in his debut season before setting the Hyundai A-League alight during the 2012/13 campaign.
In that season, he scored 15 goals and won the Johnny Warren Medal, the A-League Young Footballer of the Year award and Victory’s Golden Boot.
His performances led to interest abroad, and he signed with Stuttgart for the 2013/14 season.
He later had stints on loan to Greuther Furth (Germany) and FC Thun (Switzerland), with the latter move yielding 37 appearances and four goals.
Rojas has earned 25 caps with the New Zealand national team, the All Whites.
In 2015, he was also named in Victory’s inaugural Team of the Decade.
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Marco Rojas
Date of birth: November 5, 1991
Age: 24
Place of birth: Hamilton, New Zealand
Position: Midfielder/forward
Height: 168cm
Weight: 63kg
