Always looking for a new challenge, young soccer star Emma Ilijoski didn’t hesitate to pack her bags and set up home in a new country to fulfil her childhood dream of moving overseas to play professional soccer.
From a young age, Ilijoski has had one goal – to play soccer professionally in Europe. This goal was always at the forefront of her mind as she progressed through the ranks, from the local junior competition to professional contracts, even securing national honours as a 16-year-old.
Her determination and hard-work paid off when she was signed by women’s A-League soccer team, Canberra United, where she made 55 appearances as a defender.
Although playing in the top women’s competition in Australia would be a dream for any young aspiring soccer player, Ilijoski still wasn’t satisfied.
With four Canberra United seasons under her belt, Ilijoski packed her suitcase and headed more than 16,000 kilometres north to Scotland to begin her new life and to pursue her childhood dream at only 21 years of age.
After a brief stop in Edinburgh, Ilijoksi is now on loan at Aberdeen Women’s Football Club, playing in the starting 11, fulfilling her goals, one game at a time.
I spoke with Ilijoski to understand how moving overseas has impacted her game, challenges she has faced, and her plans for the future.
Q: Why did you decide to move overseas to play soccer professionally?
A: There are a couple of reasons. The first one is that I was ready for a new challenge. I felt that I had built experience and learnt a lot as a player to take the next step in my career. I was ready to be out of my comfort zone and did not want to have any regrets.
Another reason was the fact I could have this amazing life experience, meet even more people and learn even more in football and life. This was always a driving factor for football in general, so to be able to have the opportunity to do it overseas made me feel very grateful.
Q: How does it feel to be playing professional soccer for a career?
A: I feel very lucky to be playing professionally as a career. I don’t take it for granted at all and always think of the privileged position I am in. It is a very large part of my life and one that has shaped me and given me a lot of experience, even for when I retire, it will always be something I am very proud of.
Q. What is it about soccer that has kept you playing the sport?
A: Football has also shaped me into the person I am today, it has given me so many amazing experiences, opportunities, as well as meeting incredible people along the way.
It gives me a lot of pride and satisfaction knowing I am also part of a generation where women’s football is beginning to shift and grow into something very special. Being part of that growth and inspiring the next generation is also fulfilling.
Q: What challenges have you faced so far in playing in a new country and for a new club?
A: When I first arrived in Scotland it took me a long time to feel like myself on the pitch. In the beginning, I was struggling to be patient in finding my feet, which meant every training session I felt like I had a lot to prove, which meant I was not relaxed on the field. Since then, I have found my confidence and definitely feel like I am playing freely and able to thrive.
When things were difficult on the field, it made me miss home a lot more as well, which was challenging. However, I was lucky to have made amazing friends in the team that were very supportive, especially the ones that were also away from home.
Q: How do you feel playing overseas has impacted your game?
A: Playing overseas has been great for my game in multiple ways. I have learnt a lot of football specific things, technically and tactically, adding layers to my football knowledge that will help in the future.
Being at Aberdeen has also enhanced my love for training and games because of the safe and positive environment to learn and make mistakes in. Playing overseas has impacted my game for the better and brought out the best in me because of the belief in my ability from my coaches and teammates.
Q: What’s the thing you miss the most about Australia and playing for Canberra United?
A: I miss playing for Canberra United because of the fans and community feel. I felt connected to the club, so everything meant a lot to me during the good and tough times. I miss playing in front of my family and friends at McKellar Park and playing with girls that I have grown up with. Post home games I loved connecting with the fans because it was usually the same ones every week supporting us, no matter what.
Q: Do you have plans to continue your professional soccer career overseas?
A: I would love to continue my professional career overseas if the right opportunities continue to present themselves and it feels right for my football and life. I always thought I would not go overseas for the sake of it, and that I would wait for the right fit.
Therefore, if I felt like the next opportunity was the right fit, I would take it. My preference would be to stay overseas because I am currently happy and enjoying my football. I would love to see how much I can challenge myself and push myself to new levels.