Baldacchino hopes to make Malta connection

Two-horse races seem to be all the rage in Scotland.

Celtic and Rangers have been dominating the Premier League for so long that to most outsiders there doesn't seem to be any other team apart from the two Glasgow giants.

Now, a similar scenario is developing in the Scottish Third Division where Gretna and Peterhead have already opened a sizeable gap over third-placed Queens Park.

For Gretna, such success was anticipated. Bankrolled by millionaire businessman Brooks Mileson, they are the only full-time club in the division and as such have managed to attract players who normally wouldn't be figuring at that level.

One of them is Ryan Baldacchino whose name raises eyebrows due to the obvious Maltese connection. Indeed, the 22-year-old winger has Maltese parentage through a Sta Venera-born grandfather who now resides in Sliema.

Leicester-born Baldacchino started his career at Blackburn coming through their youth set-up before moving on to Bolton. He failed to make a first-team start for either of the two Premiership outfits and eventually joined Carlisle.

There he managed to make his breakthrough but with the club constantly embroiled in problems both on and off the pitch, it was hardly a positive experience.

"At Carlisle, I think I went backwards," he says of his time at Brunton Park. "Over the year-and-a-half with them I went years behind."

Clearly Baldacchino had to move and his next stop was Gretna.

For a player who had grown up dreaming of playing at Ewood Park or the Reebok Stadium, the reality of plying his trade in the basement division of Scottish football must have been difficult to come to terms with.

Whatever his initial reaction, such thoughts could not be farther from his mind at the moment.

"It's a really good learning curve for me being at Gretna. It is hard and physical but I feel that can only benefit me," he said.

"I'd like to think that I've got the technical basis to my game being at Blackburn and Bolton academy and reserves and I've put that into practice at Carlisle and Gretna.

"The physical aspect of the Scottish Third Division can only make me into a better player."

Goals target

Clearly he is enjoying his football.

"I've scored five goals in the first half of the season and I am hoping for at least another five in the second half.

"I'd like to get around 15 and if the team keeps playing the way it has been there's no reason why I shouldn't."

A look at Gretna's recent results justifies such a positive outlook for they seem to be head and shoulders above all the teams in their division bar Peterhead.

Baldacchino has played an integral part in that success and his exciting style of play has gone down well with the fans.

"Ryan is a skilful, tricky right-winger who loves to beat defenders," says the club's press officer Jon Tait.

"He sometimes infuriates manager Rowan Alexander by beating the full-back and waiting to 'do' him again rather than firing in a first-time cross, but I feel that if you took away that part of his game, he wouldn't be the same player."

If he keeps up this season's form, Baldacchino could soon start attracting the attention of bigger outfits.

"I obviously want to play at as high a level as possible," he said.

"Gretna FC, the club's owner Brooks Mileson and manager Rowan Alexander have given me a great platform to go on and play as well as I can week in, week out.

"This is my second season with Gretna and it's good to be playing regularly without any injury problems. If I can continue to play regularly I'm confident that I'll be playing at a higher level in the next few years, be it in Scotland or in England."

Such form could even see him play in the colours of Malta's national team.

Already he was mightily close to making it last year when "they spoke to me after I made them aware that I was eligible through my grandparents and great grandparents."

"The MFA called me up and left it with me to sort out," Baldac-chino said.

"I spoke to the embassy and they told me I would qualify for a passport but the MFA would have to put it forward to speak to them as a special case."

No further progress has been registered since then, but this has not diminished Baldacchino's desire.

Malta dream

"I'd love to get called again - even just to come over and train and the MFA could have a look at me - but it would be even better to play in a full international.

"Last time, I was disappointed to miss out in the friendly against Kazakhstan, in February 2003, but hopefully my form over the last two seasons has warranted another call-up.

"It would be absolutely fantastic for both me and for my family to see me pull on the Maltese shirt, especially for my grandfather. I would obviously be very willing to play and hopefully I could add something extra to the team."

After all, "playing international football for your country is every schoolboy's dream".