Uruguayan import Guillermo May joined Melbourne Victory in mid-September on a one-year contract from reigning champions Auckland FC, after missing their 1-0 Grand Final win over Sydney with a syndesmosis injury.
The ankle injury sustained in May had carried over into pre-season preparations with his new club, who stormed their way into the Australia Cup final with four consecutive away wins over Kingborough Lions (4-0), Western Sydney Wanderers (1-1p), APIA Leichhardt (1-0) and tournament favourites Sydney FC (2-0).
May also missed the Victory's first AFC Champions League 2 match, a 1-1 draw with Vietnamese club Viettel, but has been passed fit to make his debut for the club in this Saturday's historic Australia Cup final against South Melbourne at a sold out AAMI Park.
The 28-year-old has already enjoyed a Premier's Plate and A-League Championship across the ditch at Auckland and now, in addition to wanting to replicate that glory at his new home, has his eyes set on the Australia Cup and the Champions League 2 titles.
Auckland FC's exclusion from both tournaments means a move to Victory has opened up an avenue to new personal glory for May, who is experiencing a new burst of motivation ahead of a very busy football calendar.
"I'm not gonna be happy if we don't win at least two or three titles," he said to AAP at club training this week.
He can tick off his first of the campaign this weekend in his debut Australia Cup final, which he described as "the last title I need to win in Australia".
May is expecting big things of both his teammates and himself, boasting of his "winning mentality" and "big game experience" forged not only in New Zealand, but during his younger days as a winner of South America's under-20s equivalent of the Champions League, the Copa Libertadores.
May said that former Victory and now Avondale FC striker, 39-year-old Uruguayan Bruno Fornaroli, has been an integral part of his settling into Melbourne.
"We've been talking about the club, about the city, about everything," May said.
"I get more excited (hearing) about all the stories he told me about the club, about everything, and I'm living it now.
"So I'm expecting to start the season, to start winning games, winning titles and scoring goals for the club."
Aaron Murphy has been with Flashscore since 2018 and, as the founding editor of the Australian newsdesk, has reported on-site at several major events in Melbourne including the Australian Open, State of Origin, A-League, NBL and international cricket. You can read his pieces here and contact him on X or LinkedIn.
