With five goals from the opening five league games, Jorginho has already gone some way towards repaying the faith Hibernians showed in him when they offered him a contract in the close season.

Not that the Brazilian was an unknown quantity.

In his first season with Qormi in 2011/12, Jorginho, full name Jorge Pereira da Silva, forged a reputation as a fast and deadly striker.

His exploits for the Yellow-Blacks earned him a move to Kecskemeti in the summer of 2013 but his spell in Hungary was short-lived as the club were plagued by financial problems.

At the start of last season, Jorginho re-signed for Qormi but his campaign was disrupted by a serious knee injury.

After undergoing surgery, the Brazilian made an early comeback but it took him a while to get back in groove.

Jorginho did show signs of returning to his best form towards the end of the season but he didn’t extend his contract with the club.

As is their wont, Hibernians adopted a low-key approach in their pursuit of Jorginho whose move to the Paola club almost went unnoticed but now everyone is talking about him after his storming start to the season.

The fans have quickly taken to Jorginho as his early performances suggest that he is the type of striker Hibs had craved for a long time to partner the prolific Edison Luis Dos Sant ‘Tarabai’ up front.

Jorginho, who turns 29 in December, is happy at Hibs.

“I’m very happy about my decision to join Hibs,” Jorginho told Times of Malta with the help of Rodolfo Soares who speaks good English and is like a father figure to the Brazilians at the club.

“I’m also delighted that my efforts have helped Hibs win their opening five league games.

“The Hibs players are very united, we are like a family and this is very important for me.”

Hibernians were alerted to Jorginho’s availability by Soares and Tarabai who encouraged club manager Ranier Bezzina, the son of president Tony Bezzina, to chase his signature.

“It was Rodolfo and Tarabai who recommended me to Hibs,” Jorginho said.

Soares took up the story. “Ranier (Bezzina) asked us if we knew a good striker who can make our team stronger,” Soares said.

“We were aware that Jorginho had trials in the Emirates but was still without a club then. We told Ranier to go for Jorginho who accepted the offer made by Hibs.”

Jorginho is keen to do well for Hibernians this season but he hasn’t given up hope of moving overseas.

“My ambition is to win the championship with Hibernians,” Jorginho, who has signed a one-year deal, said.

The Hibs players are very united, we are like a family and this is very important for me

“I also hope to be the league top scorer at the end of the season.

“I want to show my capabilities to help Hibernians and also to improve my chances of joining a bigger club outside Malta. I still have hopes of playing abroad.”

Jorginho has had several spells with foreign clubs. After leaving Brazil at the age of 18, Jorginho spent four years in Japan, turning out for Nagoya Grampus, Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Tokushima Vortis and Gifu.

Before his move to Qormi, Jorginho had a two-year stint in Lebanon where he first met Soares.

Maltese football

The level of Maltese football is probably inferior to the cham-pionships he experienced in the past but he is of the opinion that the BOV Premier League is improving.

“Maltese football is improving,” Jorginho said.

“The standard of the Premier League is better now with five foreign players in every team.”

Edoardo Do Nascimento, better known as Bizu, was the person who lured Jorginho to Maltese football in 2011 after his spell with Al-Mabarrah.

The striker enjoyed his experience with Qormi but insisted that he is now concentrating only on playing well for Hibs.

“I enjoyed my time with Qormi, especially in my first year,” Jorginho said.

“At every club, you learn a lot of things but now I’m a Hibs player and I’m only focusing on helping the club win the league title.”

Although these are still early days, Hibernians look the part as genuine title contenders after taking maximum points from their first five games.

“Birkirkara, Valletta and Mosta are the other main challengers for the title,” Jorginho said.

“Balzan could also cause a few surprises.”

Optimism may be sky-high at Hibs on the back of their excellent start but they are unlikely to get over-excited after their bitter experience last season.

Unbeaten in their first 11 games, Hibs failed to build on that strong opening as the departures of Soares and Marcelo Dias, who joined Lebanese club Al-Ahed SC on loan in January, had a negative impact on the team.

That is unlikely to happen again this term and, with Jorginho forming a devastating partnership with Tarabai, their title prospects are indeed bright.