Midfielder Andrei Agius, 17, yesterday jetted out to Belgrade firmly confident that this trip will signal the start of a professional career in football.

Brought up through the youth ranks of Sliema, Agius has joined FC Zemun, of Serbia, for the rest of the season.

Agius, whose rapid progress also caught the attention of Sliema head coach Edward Aquilina who promoted the lad to the senior group for a series of Premier games, will join up with Zemun's U-19 squad.

He will be part of the Zemun party travelling to Cyprus for a three-week training camp. Zemun, ranked among the biggest clubs in Serbia, are currently 10th in the league.

"My lifetime ambition has always been to make a living out of football and hopefully this move to Serbia and Montenegro will boost my chances of a successful career," Agius, who had a training camp in Belgrade last year, said.

"I am really looking forward to playing in a tough competition as this would help me become a better player.

"This important step in my career would not have been possible without the support of my family, my personal coach Marko Glumac (a member of the Buzu Soccer School coaching staff), Sliema Wanderers youth nursery and my sponsors, Nike and Capital Radio," Agius said.