Recalled Grima wants to prove his worth

Massimo Grima is relishing the prospect of reviving his international career after earning a recall to the national squad on Tuesday.

Despite his standing as one of the most naturally-gifted players in Maltese football, Grima has been absent from the national team fold for the last five years as injuries and fitness problems dogged his progress.

Grima, 30, has put his club career back on track since joining Qormi last season. Having played a key role in Qormi's successful bid to retain their top flight status, Grima has underlined his return to form with a series of fine performances that lifted his team to the summit of the Premier League.

"Every player wants to represent his country and I'm no exception," Grima replied when asked if a return to the Malta squad had been a personal target.

"I'm delighted to be back."

Although Grima has seldom spoken of his desire to regain a place in the pool of national team players, he admitted to becoming increasingly optimistic about his chances of a recall.

"I think I've been playing consistently well in the last few months and this increased my motivation to push for a place in the squad," Grima, who has played 11 times for Malta, said.

"I have fond memories of the time I spent with the national teams, also at youth and U-21 levels. Now, the challenge is to try and break into the first team. I know it's not easy but I'm prepared to give my all."

Grima acknowledged that his decision to leave Valletta, where his first-team chances were limited, and join Qormi on loan has been vindicated.

"The switch to Qormi has given me a tremendous boost," Grima said.

"At Qormi, I've regained my best form because I've been playing regularly. The coach (Jesmond Zerafa) has helped me a lot."

Qormi showed their confidence in Grima by extending his loan for another season last summer.

Asked about his plans beyond the current season, Grima said: "I'm very happy at Qormi but it's too early to make plans and it's not entirely down to me either."

Qormi's declared objective before the start of the season was to avoid the drop. However, having gained 25 points from 11 matches, they are now being bracketed among the title contenders but Grima urged caution.

"We're taking it game by game," Grima said.

"Our initial aim was to finish in the top six and we're on course to achieve that. We've had some outstanding results but there's a long way to go. We can't afford to relax but if there's a chance of challenging for a higher target, we will go for it."

Malta squad

Gilbert Agius; Shaun Bajada; Steve Bezzina; Roderick Briffa; Jonathan Caruana; Trevor Cilia; Andrew Cohen; Clayton Failla; Ryan Fenech; Paul Fenech; Massimo Grima; Edward Herrera; Andrew Hogg; George Mallia; Michael Mifsud; Mario Muscat; Alex Muscat; Jamie Pace; Brian Said; Kevin Sammut; Terrence Scerri; Kenneth Scicluna; Ivan Woods.