Simon Vella is thrilled by the prospect of making his competitive debut for Malta against France, the current European champions.

Vella, who qualifies to play for Malta because his father is Maltese, has been named in Sigfried Held's squad for Saturday's European 2004 Group One qualifying match in Lens.

"It's an important match. I was very excited when I received the call to join the Maltese squad for the qualifying game against France," Vella told The Times.

"It has always been my ambition to play against big teams like France. I cannot wait. Obviously, we don't know who is going to play but I hope to play a part."

Keeping at bay a French team replete with excellent players like Thierry Henry, Zinedine Zidane and David Trezeguet would be Vella's job if he gets a chance to play on Saturday.

"Every player in their squad is world-class," Vella remarked.

"France's 4-0 victory over Malta in the home game at Ta' Qali highlights the quality of this team. It will be a very hard game in a packed stadium. The French players will be up to it, that's for sure.

"The mood in our squad is also very positive. The boys are looking forward to the game and that's always a positive sign," Vella said.

Vella made his international debut in the 2002 Rothmans International Tournament won by Malta. His chances of becoming a regular member in the squad looked to have receded as he was not recalled by Held for the following matches.

Last month, Vella was given another chance to prove his worth when he was named in the initial formation for the friendly at Ta' Qali against Kazakhstan. His reward for a fine performance in a 2-2 draw is a call-up for Saturday's Euro 2004 qualifier.

"I have always wanted to play in these kind of matches," Vella, 23, said. "When I made my debut for Malta in the Rothmans tournament last year, I was a bit nervous because I did not know what I was going to find.

"I thought my overall contribution in that competition was satisfactory but I knew that I could do a lot better.

"I was disappointed with myself for not showing my best. I was thankful when I was invited to play in the Kazakhstan friendly and I think I performed a lot better than I had done in the Rothmans tournament. Obviously, I was very pleased to be called up for the France match," Vella said.

Vella's contract with Airdrie runs out at the end of May.

It is believed that some local Premier League clubs are scrutinising his progress with a view of offering him a contract next season.

"Airdrie United started from scratch in Scotland where many clubs are encountering great financial difficulties. A new chairman was appointed and all the players at Airdrie were offered a one-year contract.

"I don't know what am I going to do next season. I enjoy playing in Scotland but in football, you can never rule anything out. If a club in Malta comes along with a good offer and has ambitions to challenge for honours, I would consider it," Vella said.