Michael Mifsud was widely recognised as one of the best foreign players in the Norwegian league during his two-and-a-half year stint with Lillestrom.
The quicksilver Malta striker will be striving to cement his reputation in Oslo tomorrow but on this occasion, his efforts will not be greeted with a roar of approval by the Nordic fans.
As the national team resume their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign with an away match at the Ulleval Stadium, Mifsud is aiming to cause plenty of problems to the opposing defenders, including some of his former Lillestrom team-mates.
The Group C qualifier tomorrow night will mark Mifsud's first run-out in the Scandinavian country since he rejected Lillestrom's offer for a contract extension in December.
Barely a month later, he signed for English Championship club Coventry City on a two-and-a-half-year deal.
"For me, this qualifier is just another game," Mifsud told The Times.
"Obviously, I'm looking forward to meeting my former team-mates at Lillestrom as well as playing at the Ulleval Stadium again.
"I reckon it's going to be a pleasant experience as I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent playing there."
At a pre-match news conference last week, Malta coach Dusan Fitzel opined that Mifsud's familiarity with Norwegian football is not a plus for the national team.
"The Norwegians know Mifsud very well," Fitzel commented then.
"They will surely make it difficult for him to exert his usual influence on the game."
Mifsud agrees with Fitzel that Norway will try to limit his impact on the game but he's not unduly concerned.
"With the national team, I play in a different position than I do for my club side," Mifsud observed.
"All teams do their homework well and scrutinise the characteristics of every player in the opposing team. Norway will be no different but I'm not concerned. Whatever their strategy, I am motivated to do well and help my country win."
Self-confidence and perseverance have never been a problem for Mifsud. He overcame a difficult start at Coventry to force his way into the first team where he's now widely regarded as one of the side's most influential players.
"My confidence is high after my positive performances for Coventry in the final part of the season," Mifsud added.
"Breaking into the first team was not easy but I worked hard to reach that goal. I was unlucky to go through three different managers (Micky Adams, Adrian Heath and Iain Dowie) in my first two months at the club but I never threw in the towel. My determination and commitment paid off in the end.
"The fans voted my goal against Sheffield Wednesday as the best one for Coventry last season. That means I'm being appreciated by the fans and now I'm really looking forward towards next season."
Coventry finished 17th in the 24-team Championship standings in 2006/07 with 56 points. Mifsud's lively displays inevitably triggered speculation in the UK media that other clubs could attempt to sign him in the summer.
Birmingham City, promoted to the Premier League, were said to be keen on the Malta striker but Mifsud has dismissed rumours of another transfer in the near future.
"There's no truth in that... it's all speculation. I won't move away from Coventry next season," Mifsud said.
Shifting his attention back to Malta's match against Norway tomorrow, Mifsud said: "This will be another difficult one for us but we will give our 100 per cent, as usual, and see what happens.
"Norway have a strong team and their key players are engaged with top clubs in Europe. We usually find it hard to play against Scandinavian teams because of the physical stature.
"As I said, we will give it our best shot. One thing is for sure... we will try to make life difficult for them," the 26-year-old striker said.
Squad in Oslo
The MFA delegation left for Oslo yesterday. The players and officials will be residing at the Quality Airport Hotel Gardermoen.
No new injuries were reported after the team's final training session at Ta' Qali yesterday morning.
Preparations will resume today. This evening, the players will train at the Ulleval Stadium.
Top spot in Group C is currently occupied by Turkey who have 13 points from five matches, one more than Greece and six ahead of Norway and Bosnia Herzegovina who share third place.
Hungary have six points from five matches, two better than Malta who enjoy a two-point advantage on bottom-placed Moldova. The latter are the only team in Group C to have played six qualifiers so far.