It wasn't that long ago that George Timotheou was kicking goals in the Bundesliga in Germany. Then he moved to Belgium, Adelaide and Melbourne.
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But with his A-League ambitions on hold in the short-term, the Canberra junior has returned to Gungahlin United to give the team a towering defender and boost its title chances as he awaits his next big move.
"Family has brought him back," Gungahlin United coach Chris Caggiano said ahead of their game against O'Connor Knights on Sunday.
"He left Melbourne Victory and was looking at some other potential opportunities that didn't come through. Obviously with the quality of the player he is, you can see every game he plays for us that he's got aspirations to still play at a higher level.
"Being with us is helping him stay conditioned when another opportunity comes so he can have the ability to take it."
At Victory, Timotheou played six games last season after spending two years prior with another A-League club, Adelaide United.
It was a chance to be closer to home during the turbulent COVID-19 times having spent several years overseas, first with iconic German club Schalke between 2018-2019, and then Belgium team Zulte Waregem in 2019.
![George Timotheou at training in Canberra. Picture by Gary Ramage George Timotheou at training in Canberra. Picture by Gary Ramage](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/j2iwCiKfwhVWJky39Vsdpt/f7d63266-0576-4ba3-8480-8b9919aa7a17.jpg/r0_293_4000_2551_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Since departing Victory, Timotheou is now at his childhood club tearing up the NPL men's first-grade competition in recent weeks.
"I've got George playing as a left-sided centre-back," Caggiano said. "It's the position our captain Jack Green has been in, but he's been happy to shift out to accommodate George, which speaks to the person Jack is too.
"George is a Gungahlin junior, so is his brother, and his dad was a coach at the club, so their family has been ingrained here for quite a long time."
Despite an unsettled couple of years since the pandemic, Caggiano believes Timotheou still has a lot to offer a top football league, and at 26, time is on his side.
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"The quality is there. You can see that he's at a level above, so I'm sure there'll be higher opportunities for him," the coach said.
"You see it in training and the way he prepares, his ability on the ball for a centre-back, especially of someone of his size and build is incredible.
"It's great for us being involved in the bidding for the National Second Division to be able to have someone of the calibre of George at the club at the same time as well.
"We've got a couple of younger players that he spends time with, giving them instructions and helping them out.
"It's just fantastic for someone that's played in Germany, in Belgium and played in the A-League, that he's still a humble enough guy that he gives everyone his time."
Capital Football NPL Fixtures
Men
West Canberra Wanderers vs Tuggeranong United at Melrose Synthetic, Saturday 2pm
Canberra Olympic vs Tigers FC at O'Connor Enclosed Field 1, Saturday 3pm
Canberra Croatia vs Monaro Panthers at Deakin Stadium, Saturday 5.30pm
Gungahlin United vs O'Connor Knights at AIS Grass Field 2, Sunday 3pm
Women
Canberra United Academy vs Canberra Olympic at Hawker Football Centre, Saturday 3.20pm
West Canberra Wanderers vs ANUW FC at Melrose Synthetic, Sunday 12.45pm
Tuggeranong United vs Belconnen United at Kambah 2 Field, Sunday 3pm
Canberra Croatia vs Gungahlin United at Deakin Stadium, Sunday 3pm
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