Luke Dimech is still struggling to come to terms with his abrupt exclusion from the national squad after admitting that Pietro Ghedin’s decision left him stunned.

Age has been mooted as the main reason behind Ghedin’s decision to dispense with Dimech’s services after the end of Malta’s 2014 World Cup qualifying trek but the Valletta defender, who turns 37 in January, begs to differ, claiming that his performances for club and country show that he can be useful to the national team.

“I’m very disappointed,” Dimech said of his omission from the national squad.

“I must admit that the coach’s decision has taken me by surprise.

“If I wasn’t doing well enough or had lost my place in the team, I would have comprehended his decision but I was playing regularly.

“Last month, the coach told me that my age didn’t make any difference as long as I was still performing to the expected level.

“My aim was to keep going. My mantra has always been that, as long as I feel that I can contribute to the team, I would continue to make myself available for selection.

“In the last two years, I felt I’ve played consistently well for the national team, otherwise I wouldn’t have retained my place in the side.

“I played the full match against the Czech Republic and I’m pretty sure that the coach would have selected me for the Denmark qualifier last week were it not for the calf problem I suffered on the eve of the match.

“This is why I’m so surprised by this decision. Regardless of my age, I believe that I’m still one of the most reliable defenders in the Premier League.”

Ghedin’s stance is likely to signal the end of Dimech’s international career but the sturdy defender insisted that he has no plans to quit.

If anything, Dimech, who only returned to the Malta fold early last year after falling out with former coach John Buttigieg in 2009, is determined to show that he still deserves to be part of the national squad.

“As far as my international career is concerned, I’m not going to say that it’s over now,” Dimech said.

“I’m going to keep playing, keep doing my best and then we will see.

“I wanted to remain part of the national squad and I’m still proud to represent Malta. Nothing has changed.

“I was setting short-term goals. I’ve played 78 times for Malta and my goal was to reach 80 caps before the end of this season.

“Although I’m saddened by the way I’ve been removed from the squad after two great years, the coach’s decision has given me extra motivation to show him that he is mistaken.”

While confirming that his decision to drop Dimech was influenced by his desire to give more experience to younger defenders ahead of the start of the Euro 2016 qualifiers next year, Ghedin had nothing but praise for the Valletta defender.

“I wanted Dimech to be part of the squad when I took over as coach of Malta,” Ghedin told Times of Malta.

“Dimech has had two great years with us but I feel the time has come to give younger players a chance to stake their claim for first-team football. This is the bottom line and I’ve got nothing personal against him (Dimech), far from it.

“Dimech is a very strong defender but he doesn’t represent the future of Maltese football. He’s the present.

“I want to change a few things after the conclusion of our World Cup qualifying campaign.

“I’m sure that he (Dimech) will continue to be a very good player for his club.

“He has always conducted himself in a professional way. He has been a credit to himself, the MFA, his club and national team and I want to publicly thank him for his contribution.”

Ghedin insisted that coaches have to make tough decisions.

“I have my responsibilities,” Ghedin said.

“My heart tells me to keep all the players but I have my duties... I need to think about tomorrow.”

I’m still proud to represent Malta

News of Dimech’s exit from the national squad came on the same day his Valletta team-mates were also jettisoned over a training dispute between the Malta FA and the Premier League club.

Valletta’s decision to stop sending their players to train with the national squad ahead of the home friendly against Faroe Islands on November 19 incurred the wrath of the MFA who reacted by informing the club that their players had been dropped from the national squad.

The Citizens are adamant that coach Mark Miller should have all the players at his disposal for training during the entire week, especially now that Malta have ended their World Cup qualifiers.

On the other hand, the MFA insist that, according to the agreement they have with the clubs, the international players are to continue to report for training with the national coach every Monday and Tuesday until next month’s international friendly.

Ghedin is understandably unhappy with the situation but called for calm.

“I don’t know why this has happened and I’m still waiting for an official explanation,” Ghedin replied when asked for his views on Valletta’s stand.

“We are aware of their position but I’m still trying to understand what has led to this. Further dialogue is needed to clarify the situation.”