'Staying in football to make up the numbers was never an option' - Michael Spiteri

The sight of Michael Spiteri grinding his teeth to pluck up courage as he performed the unenviable task of marking Jan Koller, the giant Czech striker, still lingers in my mind.

That day - October 11, 2000 - Malta defied the odds to hold their more-quoted opponents to a goalless draw in a World Cup 2002 qualifier at Ta' Qali. Spiteri's fine performance that day not only helped Malta achieve an unlikely point, it also underlined his status as one of the best defenders on the islands.

Spiteri has always been held in high regard by his peers as well as the coaches he worked with throughout his career, the likes of Pietro Ghedin, Brian Talbot, Josif Ilic, Atanas Marinov, Sigfried Held and Stephen Azzopardi.

Although Spiteri has won his fair share of honours, including three league championships and a FA Trophy, the general view is that the national team did not make full use of his talent as the robust defender has only played 24 times for Malta.

Talking to Spiteri after he announced his retirement from football last Friday, I felt that even the player himself knows deep down that he could and should have earned more caps for Malta.

"Looking back, I feel that I could have done more," Spiteri said. "However, for me, it was too big a gamble to dedicate all my resources on football. Let's face it, in the last two decades, those who managed to make a living out of football by moving abroad can be counted on one hand... Carmel Busuttil, Michael Mifsud and Stefan Giglio.

"That is not to say that I did not take my football seriously because I always trained hard but I never considered the sport as my main source of income. When I was young, I could not see myself achieving the financial stability that I was looking for by just playing football," Spiteri said.

The prospects of Spiteri becoming a full-time player looked bright when he joined the national squad's professional scheme during the Ghedin era. His spell as a pro lasted less than a year though as financial differences with the Malta FA prompted Spiteri to turn his back on the national team for a long period of time.

"I spent 11 months as a professional but I had to withdraw. I was not paid a substantial part of the money that I was entitled to receive. Those episodes upset me but also proved I was correct not to make football my one and only priority in life," Spiteri said.

"I know I could have played more for Malta were it not for work pressure. I must also add that I have never declared myself available to play for my country if I were not 100 per cent fit."

Spiteri's career has been blighted by injuries in the last two years. After undergoing a knee cruciate operation last season, he had surgery on knee cartilages. Faced with another lengthy lay-off, Spiteri was on the verge of calling it quits at the start of the season but decided to bide his time for a while.

"After completing my rehabilitation, I had further surgery on my knee. Those fresh setbacks were hard to take and I decided to pack it all. However, later I reconsidered my decision and decided to postpone my retirement because I wanted to finish on a better note.

"At that stage, Birkirkara were forcing their way back into the title reckoning and I seriously thought that we had a chance to win the league. I was looking to regain my full fitness to make a contribution to the team.

"Indications now are that Sliema are going to win the league. Apart from that, the players at Birkirkara have been performing extremely well. I feel my time is up and I won't stay in football just to make up the numbers. That was never an option."

Spiteri spent 12 years at Hibs before he signed for Birkirkara in the summer of 1999. Leaving Hibs was not an easy decision.

"With Birkirkara, I have effectively played for two-and-half years because injuries restricted my appearances in the last 18 months.

"I have no recriminations about my move. Birkirkara treated me well. I don't think there are many clubs here which give you their unconditional backing in difficult times like Birkirkara did when I was injured," Spiteri remarked.

Fond memories

Spiteri cherishes all honours he won in domestic football as well as every international game he played for Malta.

"I have fond memories of those two league titles with Hibs but winning the 1998 Trophy gave me greater satisfaction. In that final we met Valletta who were chasing a new record of honours won in succession. Hibs were the underdogs but we beat them 2-1.

"I also vividly remember the joy of the players and the fans when Birkirkara won their first league title in 2000. The reception we got was unbelievable."

And one occasion he would rather forget... "Injuries are a player's worst nightmare but apart from that, I felt down when Birkirkara failed to win the Trophy the same season we were crowned champions.

"Ten days after winning the league, we played Sliema in the final. The expectations were high after the euphoria surrounding Birkirkara's first-ever league title. However, we did not approach the match as we should have done. We just went through the motions, thinking that we had already won the final after we became champions. The result was that Sliema thrashed us (4-1) and a game that should have capped a great season for us, turned out to be our worst nightmare," Spiteri said.

The cynicism of some critics also irks Spiteri.

"Football coverage leaves much to be desired," Spiteri said. "Some journalists are not well prepared and do not really understand what a player is going through. These critics are only concerned with vilifying our football, especially the national team. I admit, results are often disappointing but the players always do their best to cut a good figure.

"How can these people think that Malta can compete with the bigger European nations when they live on another planet in terms of facilities, finances etc. These 'experts' only look to ridicule Maltese football. My advice is for them to quit their job if they don't like it because that's the impression I get from their derogatory comments."

Many football players move into coaching after they retire but Spiteri has not decided whether that is the road he wants to take.

"I want to stay involved with football but I have not decided whether to move into coaching or not.

"Stephen Azzopardi, the Birkir-kara coach, has told me that the doors are open for me if I want to assist the team in any way I could and I am grateful for his invitation," Spiteri said.

Although Spiteri is very much aware of the difficulties plaguing the progress of our game, he believes that there are some upcoming footballers who can really have a prosperous career.

"Before I was sceptical about the future of Maltese football but I have come across a number of young players, especially at Birkirkara, who have made me change my mind," Spiteri said.

"There are lot of promising players around but their attitude to the game will determine whether they fulfil their potential or not. As I have already said, the state of our game, in terms of money and facilities, is not very encouraging and our young players must be prepared to work hard to beat these difficulties and become complete footballers.

"At Birkirkara, I think that some of the young players have what it takes to make the grade but there are others who have not been showing the attitude needed to become regular first-team players at Premier League level," Spiteri said.

Determination is one quality which Spiteri has in abundance, one that has helped him thrive in his career as well as in life. However, he also acknowledges the support and dedication of his close relatives as instrumental in his career.

"I am grateful to my wife Eileen and my father, Carmel. They have always been there to support me, rarely missing a game whenever I played. Perhaps, my decision to retire would affect my dad more than me because football is part and parcel of his life.

"I also want to thank all the medical staff at Ta' Qali, especially physiotherapist Joseph St John and doctor David Attard, for their help," Spiteri said.