At this time last year, Daniel Bogdanovic was on cloud nine.

Having rejoined Sliema Wanderers on a one-year loan deal from Marsaxlokk, Bogdanovic's electrifying performances in the initial stages of last season were very much at the heart of the Blues' perfect record after their first eight league games.

Bogdanovic was back to his sparkling best and seemingly on the road to redemption after a short and largely unhappy spell with the Wanderers in 2003 but his second honeymoon did not last long.

As Sliema's early momentum fizzled out, Bogdanovic's fortunes nosedived and his increasingly strained relationship with coach Edward Aquilina eventually led to his definite exclusion from the Sliema squad in April.

Not for the first time in his career, Bogdanovic's acrimonious exit from Sliema put him under the spotlight amid fresh scepticism about his difficulties to underpin his unquestionable talent with the right attitude.

To his credit, Bogdanovic resisted the temptation to publicly respond to all the criticism thrown in his direction and waited impatiently to get back to the training ground for the start of pre-season with Marsaxlokk.

Eight games into the new season, Bogdanovic has not only regained a regular place in a Marsaxlokk team replete with high-profile strikers, he looks to have recaptured the sort of form that makes him one of the most feared forwards in Maltese football.

Although it's premature to suggest that Bogdanovic has put his chequered past behind him, the early indications are encouraging.

"I'm satisfied with our progress so far this season," Bogdanovic told The Times.

"The only blot on Marsaxlokk's copybook is the opening-day defeat to Birkirkara. Our performance in that game was good but we didn't take our chances.

"It was important to bounce back immediately after that upset and we have done that by taking maximum points from the next seven games. We are on a positive run but I must say that our performance against Sliema last Friday could have been better.

"Sliema had more possession but they weren't dangerous in front of goal. We certainly created more chances than they did and the most important thing is that we won the three points."

Marsaxlokk's first meeting with Sliema this season ought to have bolstered Bogdanovic's motivation to perform well, given the bitter end to his stint with the Wanderers last season.

"Last year, I was playing well for Sliema but things suddenly began to go wrong for the team and myself," Bogdanovic remarked.

"I had some conflicts, or rather misunderstandings, with the coaches and other people at the club which I'd rather not dwell upon.

"I will only say that the problems could have been avoided if both parties had acted differently.

"My time with Sliema belongs to the past. I'm a Marsaxlokk player now and I'm very happy to be part of this club.

"Apart from the positive six-month spell I had with Valletta in 2002, where the atmosphere in and around the team was great, this is the first time since I came to play here that I feel really settled.

"I've got the utmost respect for the coach and he respects me and the level of organisation at the club is excellent."

Bogdanovic is again living up to all expectations at Marsaxlokk but there's still an element of uncertainty - and perhaps there will always be - about his temperament, especially when times get tough.

"There has been so much talk about my temperament and my character that I'm not really keen to take up the subject," Bogdanovic said.

"What I say doesn't really matter, does it? People should direct questions about my character to those who work with me every day, like Brian Talbot or Peter Hartshorne.

"I'm a straightforward person and if I feel that certain things are not right, I will speak up.

"I know that I've made some mistakes during my career but most of the time, things were blown out of proportion."

Bogdanovic need only look at his and Marsaxlokk's statistics to appreciate the benefits of his resolve to let his football do all the talking.

The Serbian-born striker, who speaks fluent Maltese and publicly declares that he regards Malta as his home country, is the joint Premier League scorer with Valletta's Sebastian Monesterolo, both on 11 goals.

The former Malta international has found the net in each of Marsaxlokk's last seven matches to emulate the run (a Premier League record according to Bogdanovic) he set during his early years with Naxxar Lions.

In Friday's match against Sliema, Bogdanovic had plenty to smile about after his 71st minute goal put Marsaxlokk 2-1 ahead and knocked the fight out of the Wanderers.

Suggestions that Bogdanovic had meted out instant punishment on his former employers were dismissed by the player.

"It didn't make much difference that I was facing Sliema," he said.

"I was not seeking revenge as I have nothing against them. Sliema remain one of the top teams on the islands and like my team-mates, I was motivated to beat them.

"When I scored, many thoughts and memories crossed my mind but I guess that's normal."

Invited to give his views on Sliema's difficult start to the season, Bogdanovic said: "They are struggling to cope with injuries to some key players, especially Stefan Giglio, but they have also failed to refresh their squad in the close season.

"Most of the players in their team are over 30 and although experience is important in football, teams also need fast, dynamic players to win matches these days.

"Malta's victory over Hungary is a case in point. Hungary had some top, experienced players in their line-up but our national team, with a number of young, energetic players leading the charge, put them under pressure by relying on fast attacks."

The fact that no fewer than five Marsaxlokk players were in Malta's starting formation for the Euro 2008 qualifier against Hungary underlines the huge potential and strength-in-depth of the squad assembled by Victor Sciriha, Marsaxlokk's supremo.

Title credentials

With seven wins from eight matches, Marsaxlokk have so far justified their status as title contenders but Bogdanovic urged caution.

"My ambition is to win the league with Marsaxlokk," Bogdanovic said. "I believe we are strong enough to become champions but we must remain focused because there's a long way to go.

"I always mention Sliema's experience last season to remind my team-mates that a good start is no guarantee for success.

"Last year, Sliema won their opening eight games but Birkirkara hit back and eventually won the title."

Bogdanovic may be widely acclaimed as one of the most exciting players in the league but international recognition has been hard to come by since he was dropped by former Malta coach Horst Heese some two years ago.

On current form, Bogdanovic deserves to earn a recall to the national squad and the open-mindedness with which Dusan Fitzel has gone about his job of calling the most in-form players, should strengthen the claim of the Marsaxlokk forward.

"I've heard rumours that the national coach is thinking seriously about calling me to the squad," Bogdanovic said. "I have always regarded playing for Malta as an honour."

In his early 20s, Bogdanovic had short spells with SC Vasas in Hungary and Cherno More Varna in Bulgaria.

Now approaching his 27th birthday and, according to many football experts, the peak of his career, Bogdanovic has high hopes of landing another contract overseas but Marsaxlokk are his immediate priority.

"I've got contract offers from three foreign clubs who want me to join them next January," Bogdanovic said.

"I'm still keen on playing abroad but I want to finish this season with Marsaxlokk."

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