Talking with David Carabott, it is easy to understand why he has been at the forefront of Maltese football for all these years. The slightest mention of a bouncing ball is enough to cause his eyes to glimmer.
His is a fairytale story of a local boy made good, one of a young avid footballer from the quaint village of Marsaxlokk whose natural talent and sheer determination made it possible for him to live his childhood dreams and establish himself as one of the country's sporting ambassadors.
Testifying his sterling service to the game is his amazing total of 122 international appearances for the national team over a period of 18 years, a terrific achievement which even the greatest past and present players would have glanced at with pride.
Now 36, Carabott has decided to call time on his international career. He will take his final bow in a Malta shirt tomorrow when the national team meet Norway in a friendly international at Ta' Qali.
"A myriad of memories sail through my mind as I think about my farewell," Carabott told me when I met him for this interview at the Cottonera Sports Complex, his place of work.
"There are no secrets, no shortcuts behind a successful career. It's all down to hard work, dedication and making the most of the support from your colleagues and family. Needless to say that my family and I had to make sacrifices to ensure that I lived as a professional but I don't regret it one bit. I overcame a number of hurdles throughout my 18 years with the national team, including two bad injuries but my love for the game and resolve saw me through.
"I have achieved all my ambitions and I'm proud to be the country's most representative player with 122 caps."
Carabott may have decided to call time on his international career but he is quick to emphasise that his time in football is not up yet.
Suggestions that Carabott is approaching his retirement were further fuelled by his decision to leave the Premier League stage and join Ghajnsielem in Gozo but the former Malta skipper is looking to return to a top-flight Maltese team.
"Next season, I want to play in the Premier League," Carabott, who made his debut for Malta in a 1-1 draw against Switzerland in November 1987, affirmed.
"This season, I left Marsaxlokk because I was unhappy with the way the team was being managed. The league started on a bad note for me after the club decided to remove me from captain but I didn't allow that to tarnish my commitment to the team. However, the situation worsened and when Ghajnsielem came knocking on the door and tabled an interesting offer, I did not hesitate to join them.
"They are an excellent club, full of enthusiasm and I'm glad to be playing for them. However, my plan is to return to the Premier League after my loan expired at the end of this season."
Carabott clearly feels that he can still perform at the highest level despite his ripe age and given his impeccable fitness, it is hard to argue with him.
As the national team has always been prominent among Carabott's priorities, it must have been very hard for him to quit international football. After Horst Heese took over following the departure of Sigfried Held in 2003, Carabott was planning to add to his record of appearances but the new policy of promoting young players to the squad made him realise that the time had come for him to make space for the emerging talent.
"It did not take me long to understand that Heese's plan was to blood young players into the squad," Carabott said.
"By that time, I had already started thinking about setting a date for my retirement but when I was not omitted from the squad for the away friendly to Germany last May, I concluded that the time was opportune to call it quits. Deep down I felt that I could still challenge for a place in the team because I never had fitness problems, but once I made the decision, that was that.
"I must say that Heese was quite frank about my chances in his team but he also told me to stay and help the younger players.
"I have always given my best to serve my country in the best possible way but all good things come to an end. Now, I'm really excited by the prospect of putting on the Malta shirt for one final time."
Malta may have been on the receiving end of many heavy defeats during Carabott's time but he insists that he has never considered turning his back on the team when the going was tough.
"All matches are special for me," Carabott said. "It may be hard to understand because most of the time, we are on the losing end but it's true. Our team was walloped by France 6-0 in Lens in the Euro 2004 qualifiers but I enjoyed that match, especially the vibrant atmosphere inside the stadium."
Carabott mentions the two injuries he suffered when on international duty. They rank as the lowest points in his career.
"No doubt, the two injury setbacks were hard blows. The first came when we lost 5-0 away to Portugal but the more recent one was even more demoralising. We were beating Moldova 3-0 in the 2002 Rothmans Tournament and, as captain of the team, I could not wait for the game to finish and have the rare honour of lifting the trophy only to find myself in a hospital bed after breaking my leg in a horrible incident.
"At the time, many were very sceptical about my chances of coming back from that injury but I proved them wrong."
Carabott was one of the first Maltese players to join the professional training scheme in the 80s and continued to train on a full-time basis until he announced his decision to leave.
For much of the last two decades, the training scheme has been one of the most debated themes, especially in the wake of each negative result for the national team. Even today, when the number of players training twice daily at Ta' Qali can be counted on one hand, the benefits or otherwise of having your best players training with the national coaches three days per week, still attracts controversy.
"Between 1987 and 1994, few doubted the positive impact the training scheme had on the national team but then we suffered two defeats against Luxembourg and all the good work went up in smoke. The training scheme was virtually disbanded and has remained like that ever since," Carabott said.
"Personally, I agree with this concept of having the country's best players training together for most of the week, even if our progress is limited when compared to that of bigger countries."
In most of his matches for Malta, Carabott spent the whole 90 minutes running up and down the right wing, first as a wide midfielder, and later on, as a flank defender. But his exclusion from the forward positions has not stopped him from weighing in with some important goals.
"I have scored 13 goals and all of them are memorable in their own way, " Carabott reminisced.
"The one I scored in the 1-1 draw away to Belarus (Euro 96) is perhaps the most memorable but I also remember the ones in the 2-1 defeat to Croatia (Euro 2000 qualifiers) and the penalty against England in a friendly in 2000."
Himself a key member of Malta's golden generation, Carabott has had the opportunity of playing alongside many a fine player like Raymond Vella, Carmel Busuttil, Kris Laferla, Martin Gregory and John Buttigieg.
"They were all excellent players but Vella stood out," Carabott said.
"He was not only a great player but a great person as well and I have the utmost respect for him. This season, we have rekindled our football rivalry as he is the coach of Xewkija Tigers, our main rivals for the GFA championship.
"During my international career, I have rubbed shoulders with several great players but if I had to pick one, I would choose Zinedine Zidane. He's the definition of a complete footballer."
Club success
At club level, Carabott, who was brought up through the youth ranks of Birzebbuga Windmills, has spent the bulk of his career with Hibernians before his stops at Valletta, Marsaxlokk and most recently Ghajnsielem.
"Hibs will always remain part of me because it was there where I spent 15 years of my career. Then I moved to Valletta and in my first season, 2000-2001, we won an unprecedented six honours which I think will remain one of the highlights of my career.
"In summer of 2003, the opportunity came to sign for Marsaxlokk, my home club, and my ambition when I joined them was to win one of the main honours in domestic football, like the FA Trophy.
"I am still hopeful of fulfilling this wish but at this moment in time, I cannot tell whether I will play for Marsaxlokk or not next season. This will depend on many factors."
Retirement plans may be restricted to the national team for now but when Carabott finally decides to hang up his boots, he will dedicate himself to coaching at junior level.
"I have already completed some coaching courses, including the UEFA B licence because my intention is to stay in the game when I eventually end my playing career," Carabott said.
"I have already begun working towards that aim as I'm the head coach of the Marsaxlokk nursery. I guess, my life is destined to remain intertwined with football."