Up-and-coming Maltese players Conor Borg and Matthew Guillaumier are eager to seize the opportunity after joining the youth sectors of Italian clubs Chievo and Empoli respectively.

Maltese youngsters are often accused of lacking the willpower and hunger to pursue a professional career abroad but that trend may be about to change.

Conor Borg and Matthew Guillaumier, two of the country’s brightest prospects, are still in their teens but age has proved no deterrent to their ambition.

Borg, a promising midfielder who has come through the youth ranks of Floriana FC, joined the youth sector of Serie A club Chievo last summer after catching the eye of Italian scouts while playing for the Malta U-17 team.

Guillaumier, of Division One club St Andrew’s, is currently training with the youth squad of Serie B club Empoli.

It says all about the 15-year-old’s resolve to step up his development that he agreed to relocate to Italy despite knowing that he must wait until he turns 16 to be eligible to play for Empoli’s youth team in official matches.

“It has been a very positive experience so far,” Borg said of his move to Chievo.

“At first, I found it a bit difficult to adapt but now I’m feeling a lot better. I’m giving my 100 per cent to improve and become a better player.

“Living on my own in a foreign country is also helping me to become more independent.”

The lifestyle change was not the only challenge Borg faced in his early weeks in Verona as the 16-year-old also had to raise the ante in training.

“Training is different,” he said.

“Even the warm-up is tactical. The training sessions are fast and very intense... the ball hardly ever stops.

“In the first two months, we trained twice a day but now we have only one session.

“The level of organisation at the club is very good.”

Borg, who like Guillaumier is one of the key players in the Malta squad that will compete in the eagerly-anticipated U-17 European Championships in May, feels that he has already lifted his standards in the five months he’s been with Chievo.

“I feel that I’ve improved as a player with Chievo,” Borg said.

“I’m playing regularly and the league here is very competitive. All the players are good and the levels are very high.

“It’s not easy to succeed but I’m prepared to make sacrifices to reach my goals.”

Although Borg is a Liverpool FC fan, his long-term target is to play in Italy.

“My aim is to remain overseas. If I had to choose, I’d opt for Italy because I like the football there,” he remarked.

Surely, the Malta FA’s academy project has produced tangible rewards for up-and-coming players like Borg not only by enhancing their prospects of being spotted by foreign scouts but also by creating the right set-up to prepare them for professional football under the guidance of Argentine coach Sergio Soldano and his staff.

“The Malta FA have been of great assistance to me,” Borg said.

“The Academy is well-run and the level of the players is very good. The coaches are always willing to help.

“Sergio Soldano is doing a very good job. He teaches us a lot and I honestly believe that with him, we can further improve the level of our team.”

Soldano has been engaged by the Malta FA to hone the skills and tactical awareness of the next generation of footballers with special focus on the upcoming UEFA U-17 tournament.

As hosts, Malta qualify automatically for the May event which will showcase the best emerging talent in Europe.

“The UEFA U-17 tournament is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us,” Borg said.

“Our team is making a big effort to prepare as best as we can for this competition.

“We are doing our 100 per cent and that is helping us to improve as a team.”

Guillaumier stays upbeat

Still only 15, Guillaumier has long been identified as a future star.

In April, he became the youngster player to appear for St Andrew’s senior team in the Division One league match against Gudja United, aged 15 years and 17 days.

Guillaumier has settled well in his new environs.

“It has been a very good experience so far,” Guillaumier said.

“I had to deal with a few difficulties at first but I’ve fitted well into the team.

“The players at Empoli have helped me immensely. I’m living in an apartment with three other players and my Italian has also improved significantly.”

It is often said that young Maltese footballers possess the talent to cut it abroad but the majority fall behind their European peers in terms of development due to a lack of a professional set-up at local clubs.

To fulfil their potential, Maltese youngsters need to train in a professional environment from a young age and this is precisely why Empoli wanted Guillaumier to join their ranks despite him not being eligible yet to play for them.

“The technical level is also very high,” Guillaumier said.

“I can’t play for Empoli before my 16th birthday but the coaches told me that it was important that I joined them before in order to keep up with the progress of the other players at the club.

“Not being involved in competitive games is tough for me. Watching games from the stands, I focus on the performance of our team to see what the coach wants from the players so I know what to expect when my time comes.”

In the past few years, Guillaumier also had trials with English clubs Birmingham and West Bromwich Albion. Italian sides Chievo and Siena were also keeping tabs on his progress but he chose Empoli.

“I opted to join Empoli because I believe that Italian football suits my game better,” Guillaumier said.

Guillaumier, the nephew of St Andrew’s midfielder Joseph Farrugia, has been part of the Malta FA youth academy since its inception.

He is still eligible to play for the 1998 squad but has also featured for Malta U-17s.

“The 1998 group is very united,” Guillaumier said.

“We have a strong squad with a good chance of qualifying from the UEFA U-17 preliminary tournament in October (Malta, who will host the tournament, have been drawn in Group Eight along with Serbia, Holland and Finland).

“There is also a lot of quality in the 1997 group. I hope we do well in the UEFA U-17 finals.

“It’s a great opportunity for us.

“All the Italian players at Empoli wish to play for their national team. One player was selected after impressing for Empoli.

“At the Euro U-17 Champion-ship, there will be several scouts to see the likes of Italy and Spain but we must be proud to be representing our country.”

Like any other 15-year-old living away from his homeland, Guillaumier must be missing his family but he has no intention of returning home.

He said: “I don’t want to return to Maltese football for the simple reason that I want to make it as a professional player.

“My dream is to play in the Italian Serie A or Serie B but I have a long way to go.”