Adrian Mifsud was recently voted Hibernians' best 2001/2002 performer by his fellow team-mates in a poll carried out by The Times after the Paolites were crowned new champions of Malta.
Mifsud's invaluable contribution to Hibs' title success yesterday received further recognition in the shape of the Malta FA Footballer of the Year award.
In a tight race for the ultimate individual honour on the local football scene, the 27-year-old Mifsud topped the list after beating the stern challenge of the versatile Birkirkara player William Camenzuli and team-mate Mario Muscat, Malta's no.1 goalkeeper.
"I am over the moon. I have worked very hard towards this target because the MFA Footballer of the Year award is the maximum for a Maltese player.
"I'm delighted to have won this accolade at the end of a memorable season for Hibernians during which I also played the best football in my career," the Malta international striker commented when contacted by The Times late yesterday.
"It must have been a very close race because both Mario and William had an excellent season as well. Our goalie was one of the team's best players and Camenzuli also shone for his team... perhaps Birkirkara's failure to maintain their title challenge did not help his cause."
Mifsud's excellent goalscoring record was one of the main catalysts behind Hibs' title triumph. He scored 27 goals to finish second in the top scorers' chart behind Sliema Wanderers' striker Danilo Doncic who netted 32 goals.
Mifsud, formerly of Sta Venera and Rabat, reckons that the ideal atmosphere at the club helped him in no small measure to make such a huge impact on the Premier League last season.
"Hibs' championship win is the result of several years of hard work. In my second season at the club, I felt that there was a great unity and a great understanding among the players. The squad was more mature and the players knew each other's qualities inside out.
"That contributed to my overall performance last season and therefore credit also goes to my fellow team-mates. Moreover, our quest to win the Premier League crown after seven years also spurred me to greater efforts," Mifsud said.
Hibernians will now fly Malta's flag in the Champions League, the top football competitions in Europe. Mifsud is relishing the challenge to prove himself in Europe and to emulate the feat achieved by other local clubs in recent years.
"To play in the Champions League is a dream come true. It is perhaps one of the few chances we have to advertise Maltese talent. I'm looking forward to showing what I can do but at the same time I am also keen to help my team overcome the first hurdle like Valletta did a few a years back. However, much will depend on the outcome of the draw.
"Last season, we bowed out of the Intertoto Cup to Polish side Zaglebie Lubin at the first hurdle but we were undone by two soft goals which could have easily been avoided. In the return leg at the Hibs Ground, we showed that we were not inferior to them but it was too late for us to salvage the result. Hopefully, this year we will not repeat the same mistakes," Mifsud said.
The 2001/02 Footballer of the Year, succeeding Gilbert Agius who won it last year, has come a long way since he burst onto the scene with Rabat Ajax a few seasons ago.
"I owe a lot to Ziya Yildiz, my former coach at Rabat, and Robert Gatt, Hibs' coach.
"Ziya gave me the chance to play in the Premier League and under his charge I learnt a lot. Gatt has also helped me to improve as a player. I dedicate this honour to these two coaches, my wife and my family."
Although Mifsud has now won the major honours in domestic football, he vowed not to rest on his laurels.
"I still have a few things to win... like the Trophy. I think that was the only disappointment for us last season. I am also hoping to attract the interest of a foreign club and to cement my place in the Malta team."
Mifsud may have been the architect behind Hibs' success but in football, particularly in Malta, the good memories are quickly forgotten, especially when one has a bad game.
His below-par performance in the Trophy semi-final upset to Birkirkara did not go down well with a section of Hibs' fans, sparking speculation that he may choose to move this summer.
Ironically, the Stripes have been linked with a bid for the striker.
"I must admit that the attitude of some of our fans at the end of the semi-final against Birkirkara upset me a lot. I know I didn't play well but I ask them to name one player who has never had a bad game. I was hurt by some of their comments but that incident now belongs to the past," Mifsud said.
What about the future?
"As far as I'm concerned, up to the present day I am still a Hibs player."