Edward Aquilina during his playing days with Sliema.

Recently I met the former Sliema Wanderers and Malta footballer, Edward Aquilina, on the St Julian’s seafront and during our leisurely chat, we rolled back the years to his playing days, while also recalling the early sixties when we used to frequent the St Gregory’s Catholic Action Centre in Sliema where he started playing football as a young boy.

Needless to say, the subject revolved around the successful career of a Sliema star forward-cum-midfielder whose glittering years in the game eventually became a shining beacon in the annals of Maltese football.

Unassuming, but with remarkable clairvoyance, Aquilina, now 70, recalled his connection with football which spanned well over four decades from the day he made his debut for the Blues on January 6, 1962 against Hibernians until he ended his coaching career on October 6, 2006, a span of 45 years.

“I look back with satisfaction and pride at a career replete with honours both as a player and coach,” Aquilina told me.

“I owe this to all those who came across my path during all these years and assisted me in their various roles.”

“Dedication and hard work helped me attain these heights,” added the stocky player whose football qualities were decidedly functional more than flamboyant, with his scheming skills allied to a hard left-footed shot constantly evident.

“After I made my debut when I was 16 years four months old, the sixties were the first fruitfuI years which were marked by three championships in a row with Sliema, plus two FA Trophies, including a double in 1965.

Flashback... The Times of Maltareport on Edward Aquilina’s decision to call time on his successful coaching career in October, 2006.

“The next decade marked the end of my playing career in 1979 but not before winning four championship titles, three with Sliema and one with Hibernians. I also won the FA Trophy making it a total of 10 major honours, aside of other cups.

“Before joining Hibernians, I had a spell in the USA with Pittsburgh Phantoms and after that I rejoined the Wanderers as a 25-year-old for a fee Lm1,500, plus Joe Cini who was then 34.”

Referring to his successes as a coach, Aquilina was modest enough to stress that the two teams under his charge, Sliema and Valletta had the best players on the island in their ranks and his triumphs as a coach resulted from a combination of quality fare on the field and good direction from the bench.

His impressive array of 19 major honours won on the field and off it was augmented by 22 other cups, a total which is without precedent in local football.

Titles galore

As a player, the former Malta international won seven league titles – six with Sliema and one with Hibernians, and three FA Trophies, all with Sliema.

He then went on to add to that tally when guiding the Wanderers to three and Valletta to two championships respectively. As for the Trophy competition he won it three times with Valletta and once with Sliema as a coach.

A sore experience also surfaced in our conversation when Aquilina recalled his lowest point in his career in 1983 when he was in charge of the relegated Blues’ team.

“Somehow, Sliema came out of that rut as later successes followed,” he noted.

His best years in the coaching scene were those between 1994 and 1998 when he won three FA trophies and two championships in a row with Valletta.

“Apart from those fabulous years with Valletta, my greatest satisfaction was when I helped Sliema from the bench to three league titles in a row between 2003 and 2005, as well as winning three championships in succession both as a player and a coach for the Wanderers, an achievement which I think is unequalled in Europe,” Aquilina remarked with extreme pride.

The extraordinary playing and coaching years of the man are now over but his impact on the Maltese game will remain as a legacy to be cherished especially by him as well as many footballer followers.