The football fan has been kicking a ball around since he learned to walk and this season TJ surprised himself and his family by scoring 74 goals - 65% of his team's total goals - playing in his first competitive season with the Wanaka Lions.
In the under-8 division II competition, TJ's Wanaka Lions team scored the most goals of any team - 113 - and TJ netted 65% of them, even though he was only allowed to play three-quarters of each game.
For TJ, playing and talking about football comes as naturally as breathing.
"He's always got a football ball, morning, afternoon, and night- time. And the first thing he talks about on the phone is to ask people to come play football with him," TJ's mum, Vicki, said.
The Lilly family moved to Wanaka from the United Kingdom this year and were thrilled to discover New Zealand children can begin to play competitive football from an early age.
In the UK, children have to wait until they are 8, although indoor football is available for the very young.
TJ shares his passion with his dad, Derek, and sister, Gina (9). He is one of more than 650 young children who played organised competitive football in Central Otago this season.
The Central Otago Football Association organised 684 league games for junior football players in a 12-week, 24-game season that ended on June 29.
The Wanaka Lions team is comprised entirely of Hawea Flat School pupils and came together for the first time this year, a result of the increasing school roll.
It is one of nine teams in the Central Otago under-8 division II competition and 57 teams in under-16 competitions.
TJ wasn't too rankled he scored more goals himself than the season total of 69 collected by the Queenstown Kiwi Blues, which eventually won the under-8 division II competition, for how could he dwell on disappointment when his "other" team was a winner?
That's Manchester United, which beat Chelsea after a nail-biting penalty shoot-out to win the Champions League, not to mention the English premiership, this season.
"I like them because they are the best," TJ said.
