Soccer: Young Phoenix talent takes it in his stride

Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert, left, and young gun Marco Rojas in Adelaide today. Photo / Paul Harper

If the Wellington Phoenix are to get past Adelaide United tonight, a lot will come down to the performance of winger Marco Rojas.

The 19-year-old has been awarded the A-League Young Player of the Month for February, putting him in the running for the Young Player of the Year Award against Chris Payne from North Queensland Fury, Luke DeVere from Brisbane Roar, Aziz Behich from Melbourne Heart, Mustafa Amini from Central Coast Mariners, Matt Ryan from Central Coast Mariners and Mathew Leckie from Adelaide United.

Rojas has provided the spark that has seen the Phoenix scrape through to the A-League finals series, with his quick feet and brilliant touches dumbfounding oppositions, setting up opportunities for his teammates and wowing crowds.

Rojas is relaxed about the extra attention he is receiving from his team, his fans and his opposition.

"There's not actually too much pressure," he says. "The boys and Ricki have been pretty good and just say 'go out there and enjoy yourself'. I've just made sure I've done that. You have to. If you get too worked up with the pressure it doesn't really work out and football is all about enjoying yourself.

"Every now and then I have to pinch myself, make sure that it is all real. It's been a bit surreal. To be fair, I couldn't ask for anything more at this stage."

Rojas will be hoping he can perform as well against Adelaide tonight as the last time the two teams met, when Rojas provided a pinpoint cross to set up Chris Greenacre to score the winner.

Captain Andrew Durante warns teams might try to rough up Rojas, but he brushes off concerns Adelaide will target him physically tonight.

"I don't think they are that much of a dirty team, I expect just the same as when I played them last time," he says.

"As for the tackles, I guess that's just football and I'll have to go with those but hopefully my speed will help take me away from them."

Rojas said rather than opposition defenders giving him a hard time about his age and young appearance, the most grief he gets is from his own supporters.

"There's a lot of them that say 'does your mum know you're out this late?' and that sort of stuff," he says.

As far as making the All Whites is concerned, the half-Kiwi, half Chilean says that's up to coach Ricki Herbert.

"If he decides to put me in, I deal with that then, but for now nothing's come up."

While the All Whites aren't on Herbert's mind ahead of tonight's clash at Hindmarsh Stadium, Rojas has certainly impressed his coach.

"Currently he's fearless and we keep encouraging that. He's a clever little player, he's good on both feet, he's got a turn of pace which is important as the levels get harder and higher. And he doesn't lack confidence."

As for Rojas's future with the club - his contract ends at the end of the season - Herbert says the club have had a number of conversations with Rojas and his dad.

"My views don't change. I think he's found his feet at a very, very good club that is incredibly supportive of him. We've considered all our [specifications] and we've tabled everything that we possibly can and we are hoping for a favourable result from it.

"He's got good players around him, he's got a great club, he's got a fantastic fan and public support, that doesn't come that way and that can be burnt and crash pretty quickly.

"I think being a homegrown product and where he is at the moment, he could make worse decision than to stay at the club."