Marco Rojas seeks to revive his connection with Yellow Fever

All White Marco Rojas is returning to the club where his professional football career began.

The winger, who won the Johnny Warren Medal as the A-League’s best player 11 years ago, has signed with Wellington Phoenix for the upcoming A-League season.

The Phoenix gave Rojas his first professional contract in 2009 after he received a Yellow Fever scholarship to train with the first team.

He played 21 A-League matches for the Phoenix before moving to Melbourne in 2011, where he had three successful stints with Victory.

Rojas, now 32, is eager to reconnect with the club’s fans after 13 years away.

“I recognise the importance they played in the scholarship that first got me going as a professional footballer,” he said.

“My family and I still talk about the Yellow Fever and the financial commitment they made, the ‘Retro Ricki’ car we had for the week or two in Wellington, and the trip to Queenstown to play Melbourne.

“If it wasn’t for the scholarship, I would have had a very different path to professional football.

“I’m very grateful for the start the Yellow Fever gave me and even though I left, I hope they can still see it as a special thing that I’m coming back.”

Rojas scored 39 goals in 119 A-League matches for Melbourne Victory and also played for top-tier clubs in Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Chile before joining Brisbane Roar for the second half of last season.

Rojas believes he can achieve something special in Wellington under head coach Giancarlo Italiano.

“I have that hope and belief because of what I’ve seen from the outside with the Phoenix under Chiefy. It looks like a great place to be.”

He feels he still has a lot to offer the Phoenix both on and off the field.

“There have been a few seasons in the A-League where I’ve performed really well, which shows what I might be able to do on the pitch.

“And off the field, I bring experience from playing in Chile and Europe. If the young players want advice, they can learn from me and add to their games, hopefully taking them further than last season.”

Italiano is confident Rojas can recapture his best form at the Phoenix.

“I’m really excited about the amount of talent Marco has,” Italiano said. “My goal is to get him close to his 2016-17 A-League season form, which I think was his best, and I believe we can achieve that here.

“We’re the right club for him to thrive. We’ll give him the freedom to play and express himself.

“If we can get a fit Marco firing, he’ll help our team’s progression and improve our style of play from last season.”

Rojas will wear the No. 21 shirt for the Phoenix, the same number he wore during his first stint at the club.