Paul Fenech (right) has pledged his future to Birkirkara. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Midfielder Paul Fenech has ended all the uncertainty about his future after signing a new three-year deal with Birkirkara, the Premier League club announced on their website yesterday.

The highly-rated Fenech had been widely expected to seek pastures new at the end of the season amid speculation of a move to rivals Valletta but Birkirkara refused to give up hope on persuading their talisman to extend his stay.

News that Fenech had been ordered to train on his own after initially rejecting Birkirkara’s offer to sign a new contract raised the prospect of an acrimonious end to his successful eight-year spell with the club.

The mood changed completely over the past three days as the messages of support and gratitude from the fans and the club’s renewed efforts convinced Fenech that his future lay with Birkirkara.

“I just couldn’t leave Birkirkara,” Fenech told Times of Malta yesterday.

“The relationship I have with this club and the respect I have for the supporters are the main reasons why I’ve decided to stay. My attachment to this club is too strong.

“The last few weeks have not been easy for me but the messages of support I received from the fans really touched my heart. Everyone urged me to stay and this really made it almost impossible for me to leave.

“It’s a known fact that I had some differences with the club committee but these have been settled now.”

News that Fenech has resolved his issues with Birkirkara represents a massive boost for the club ahead of their FA Trophy semi-final against Valletta tomorrow evening.

The dynamic midfielder, who has continued to train on his own during his brief exile from the first-team squad, is expected to rejoin his team-mates for training this evening.

Fenech is the third player to pledge his future to Birkirkara this week after goalkeeper Justin Haber and fellow Malta midfielder Rowen Muscat extended their contracts with the club.

Birkirkara’s efforts to tie their key players to new deals must have influenced Fenech’s decision to stay put as it underlines the club’s determination to keep their best elements.

Fenech revealed that he has sought reassurances from the top officials about the club’s ambitions to keep challenging for trophies in the coming seasons.

“One of the points I raised during my discussions with the club was that Birkirkara FC need to remain very competitive in order to challenge for the main honours,” the 28-year-old said.

While Fenech’s decision to stay at Birkirkara is music to the ears of the club supporters, not the same can be said of Valletta who had high hopes of signing the player.

“I want to thank Valletta because they really showed a very strong interest in me,” Fenech said.

“I must admit that I was also interested in their proposal but after eight years with Birkirkara, I feel attached to this club. They are like my second family.

“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Valletta because they have understood my reasons for staying with Birkirkara.”