As they were approaching their 60s, Lucian Camilleri, now 62, and Ronnie Saliba, 64, were determined to keep fit and stay active, so they started playing friendly football games with some of their friends.

Now, five years on, Camilleri and Saliba still form part of this team and they play together twice a week. The team is made up of 14 players and so they play seven-a-side games of an hour and a half each.

“We’re like a bunch of kids,” Saliba says. “We’re always keen for our matches to start.”

Both Camilleri and Saliba played football with various clubs when they were younger.

“I’ve been playing football for as long as I can remember. I spent my childhood running around the streets chasing after a ball made of cloth,” Saliba remembers.

“I was the same. I have very fond memories of playing with my school team at the age of 13 and even younger,” adds Camilleri.

They believe age is no barrier when it comes to keeping fit or practising sports.

“When I reached my 40s, after I stopped playing with clubs, I came up with my own training routine. I still have a similar routine today.

“We play football matches on Mondays and Thursdays. On the other days, I go running,” Saliba says.

Camilleri is no different to his teammate.

“I’ve experienced various injuries throughout the years and although it wasn’t always easy, I always returned to the football pitch. So far, I have managed to not give up,” Camilleri says.

Being part of a team motivates both men to lead an active lifestyle. While most of their teammates are over 60 years old, some are younger and this gives them the opportunity to challenge themselves and work even harder.

Camilleri describes how playing football, as well as being part of a team, has instilled in him a great sense of determination which he carries to this day.

“It’s all down to having the right attitude. Sometimes, on a cold and rainy day, I’m sitting on the sofa and I don’t really feel like going to the game. But then I remind myself that at my age, I cannot afford to stop.”

The team try not to cancel any games, often playing in the rain or even in the scorching August sun.

“We’re better than the young players because in summer, we keep playing,” Saliba explains with a chuckle.

They point out the only difference between them and younger players is that while young people should push themselves to their limit to reach their full potential, older players need to know when to stop.

“When you get to our age, you need to know when to stop. It’s important to understand your body well enough to realise when you need to slow down or else you can get seriously injured,” Saliba says.

He explains it might not always be easy to come to terms with the fact that you need to hold back a little, but it’s important to prevent injuries.

“It might take slightly longer for an injury to heal properly, but this shouldn’t hold you back. If you get hurt, give yourself time to heal and follow the doctor’s instructions. When you do get better, make sure you keep going and try to pick up where you left off,” Camilleri adds.

Both men are now pensioners and their football games give them something to look forward to.

“We don’t just meet up to play a game of football. It gives us an opportunity to get together for a chat as most of us have been good friends for years,” Saliba says.

“Sometimes, we go out for a meal together, as a team,” Camilleri adds.

They agree that while awareness about keeping active when getting older has increased, not many elderly people take part in activities which help them keep fit.

Camilleri points out that more information needs to be given about how to keep fit as one gets older.

“It’s not a matter of just telling people to be active. At our age, one cannot simply get up and start running marathons or playing football,” he says.

“Some people our age are also embarrassed to work out or practise sports because they feel they are too old. This stigma needs to be tackled. I used to go running at 3am and I would see many people my age walking or jogging at that hour. I think they felt more at ease with less people around,” Saliba adds.

The two also believe that today there are more opportunities for those interested in sports.

“Take rugby, for instance. We couldn’t play rugby when we were young because there were no rugby teams,” points out Saliba.

Camilleri and Saliba note drastic improvements in sports facilities too. Both remember a time when football pitches had no turf, yet they explain how this never deterred their abilities or passion for the game.

“We remember football pitches with just gravel. There were only few, if any, grass pitches and definitely no artificial turfs like there are today,” says Saliba.

“Where you play is ultimately irrelevant,” Camilleri adds. “The most important thing is your willingness to succeed and have fun. This attitude is beneficial to anyone, even older players like us.”