Michael Mifsud facts for kids
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Mifsud with Melbourne Heart in 2013
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michael Mifsud | ||
| Date of birth | 17 April 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Pietà, Malta | ||
| Height | 1.64 m | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Sliema Wanderers | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1997–2001 | Sliema Wanderers | 80 | (60) |
| 2001–2004 | Kaiserslautern | 21 | (2) |
| 2001–2004 | → Kaiserslautern II | 47 | (27) |
| 2004 | Sliema Wanderers | 12 | (8) |
| 2004–2007 | Lillestrøm | 48 | (17) |
| 2007–2009 | Coventry City | 86 | (16) |
| 2009 | → Barnsley (loan) | 15 | (2) |
| 2010 | Valletta | 7 | (7) |
| 2011 | Qormi | 5 | (7) |
| 2011–2013 | Valletta | 49 | (28) |
| 2013–2014 | Melbourne Heart | 14 | (1) |
| 2014–2016 | Sliema Wanderers | 32 | (5) |
| 2016–2018 | Valletta | 55 | (11) |
| 2018–2020 | Birkirkara | 36 | (7) |
| 2020–2021 | Sirens | 9 | (1) |
| 2021–2022 | Mosta | 24 | (3) |
| National team | |||
| 2000–2020 | Malta | 143 | (42) |
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Michael Mifsud, born on April 17, 1981, is a famous Maltese former professional footballer. He was known for being a great scorer! He played 143 games for the Malta national team and scored an amazing 42 goals between 2000 and 2020. He even got to be the team's captain. People in Malta thought he was super talented, voting him Maltese Sportsperson of the Year in both 2001 and 2003. Michael played for big clubs like Kaiserslautern, Lillestrom, and Coventry City, plus many top teams in Malta.
Contents
- Playing Career Highlights
- International Career for Malta
- Honours
- See also
Playing Career Highlights
Michael Mifsud started his football journey in Pietà. He joined the youth team of Sliema Wanderers.
Starting Strong with Sliema Wanderers
Michael made his first team appearance for Sliema Wanderers in the 1997–98 season. In his very first season, he played six games and scored one goal. This helped his team finish third in the Maltese Premier League.
The next season, 1998–99, was a big one for Michael. He became a regular player and was seen as one of the most exciting young talents in Maltese football. He played 23 games and scored eight goals, again helping Sliema Wanderers finish third.
In July 1999, Michael even had a trial with the famous English club Manchester United! While he didn't sign with them, it showed how good he was. Back at Sliema Wanderers for the 1999–2000 season, he scored 21 goals in 28 games. The club finished fourth that season.
The 2000–01 season was his last with Sliema Wanderers for a while. He helped the team finish second in the league, scoring 20 goals in 25 games.
Moving to Germany: Kaiserslautern
Michael's amazing form caught the eye of Bundesliga club 1. FC Kaiserslautern in Germany. He joined them in the summer of 2001. He scored many goals for their B team (reserve team) in the Regionalliga, which was Germany's third league. He also played a few games for the main team in the Bundesliga, scoring two goals.
Back to Sliema Wanderers
Michael wanted to play more regularly for a first team. So, he left Kaiserslautern in early 2004 and returned to Sliema Wanderers. He played 12 games and scored eight goals, helping Sliema Wanderers win the Maltese Premier League title again in the 2004–05 season.
Playing in Norway: Lillestrøm
In the summer of 2005, Michael joined Norwegian Premier League club Lillestrøm. He quickly became very popular there, even being voted the best foreign player in the league at one point! In the 2006 season, he was the club's top scorer with 11 goals in 19 games.
Michael decided not to renew his contract with Lillestrøm because he dreamed of playing in a bigger European league.
Exciting Times at Coventry City
On January 10, 2007, Michael signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Coventry City in England's Football League Championship. He made his first appearance for Coventry City just three days later.
Michael scored his first goal for Coventry City on January 22, 2007. He continued to score important goals, including one that won him the "Goal of the Season" award for Coventry City.
One of his most famous moments happened on September 26, 2007. In a League Cup match, Michael scored two goals against Premier League champions Manchester United at their home stadium, Old Trafford. Coventry City won 2–0, which was a huge surprise! After this game, an Italian newspaper even called him Il Messi di Malta (The Messi of Malta).
Michael kept scoring goals for Coventry City, helping them win games. He scored two more goals in an FA Cup match against Blackburn Rovers in January 2008. For his great performance, he was named the "Player of the Third Round" by the Football Association.
In July 2008, Coventry City received an offer for Michael from Bristol City. However, the move didn't happen. Michael's contract with Coventry City ended on June 30, 2009, and he left the club.
Short Loan to Barnsley
On February 2, 2009, Michael joined Barnsley on loan until the end of the season. He scored his first goal for Barnsley on March 10, 2009, in a 1–1 draw against Birmingham City. He scored another goal on March 18, 2009, helping Barnsley win 3–1 against Crystal Palace.
Return to Malta (2009–2013)
First Time at Valletta
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After leaving Coventry City, Michael was a free agent for a few months. He then joined Maltese club Valletta until the end of the 2009–10 season.
He made his debut for Valletta on March 19, 2010, scoring a goal in a 3–0 win. He then scored three goals in a row (a hat-trick) against Tarxien Rainbows. He also scored another hat-trick against rivals Floriana in a cup final! He finished the season with an amazing 13 goals in just 12 games for Valletta.
Playing for Qormi
After his short time with Valletta, Michael became a free agent again. He eventually signed with Qormi until the end of the Maltese football season. In his first game for Qormi, he scored a hat-trick and was named "man of the match" in a 4–1 win!
Second Time at Valletta
On July 5, 2011, Michael signed a four-year contract to return to Valletta. He helped Valletta win the Maltese Premier League in the 2011–2012 season, scoring 12 goals in 24 games. On July 3, 2012, he scored four goals in an 8–0 win in a Champions League qualifying match!
Michael left Valletta in June 2013, hoping to play abroad again.
Playing in Australia: Melbourne Heart
On September 18, 2013, Michael signed a one-year deal with A-League club Melbourne Heart in Australia. He scored his first goal for the club in a 2–1 loss against Sydney FC. Melbourne Heart released Michael on March 21, 2014, so he could return home to Malta with his family.
Later Career in Malta (2014–2021)
On June 15, 2014, Michael signed for Sliema Wanderers for the third time in his career. He scored his first goal back with the team on November 22, 2014.
On January 20, 2016, it was announced that Michael would be returning to Valletta for a third time. He signed a two-and-a-half-year contract. During this time, he helped Valletta win another Maltese Premier League title and a Maltese FA Trophy.
After two years with Valletta, Michael signed a one-year contract with Birkirkara in 2018, which was renewed in 2019. In August 2020, Michael signed a one-year deal with Sirens. He later moved to Mosta F.C. in January 2021.
International Career for Malta
Michael Mifsud made his first appearance for the Malta national team on February 10, 2000, against Albania.
He is considered one of the best players Malta has ever had. He played a key role in Malta's victory against Hungary in the Euro 2008 qualifiers. This was Malta's first competitive home win since 1982!
On March 27, 2008, Michael scored an incredible five goals for Malta in a friendly 7–1 win over Liechtenstein. He scored three of those goals (a hat-trick) in just 21 minutes! On March 3, 2010, he broke the record for most goals scored for the national team, passing Carmel Busuttil.
On June 7, 2013, Michael scored the winning goal (1–0) in Malta's first away win in a World Cup qualifier in many years, against Armenia. On October 11, 2013, Michael played his 100th game for Malta. He scored Malta's only goal in a 4–1 loss to the Czech Republic.
Michael Mifsud played his last match and scored his last goal for Malta on November 11, 2020, in a 3–0 friendly win against Liechtenstein. He ended his international career with 42 goals in 143 games, making him Malta's all-time top scorer.
Honours
Valletta
- Maltese Premier League: 2011–12, 2015–16, 2017–18
- Maltese FA Trophy: 2009–10
- Maltese Super Cup: 2011, 2012
See also
In Spanish: Michael Mifsud para niños
- List of top international men's football goalscorers by country
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
