Michael Mifsud is banking on the support of Melbourne’s large Maltese community.

Maltese-Australian football fans Down Under are at fever pitch over Melbourne Heart’s seemingly imminent signing of Malta’s record scorer Michael Mifsud.

Sydneysider Luke Sammut, 28, said he switched his allegiance from Western Sydney Wanderers to Melbourne Heart as soon as he heard Mifsud was signing.

“Michael is my favourite player. Maltese people will get behind Melbourne Heart now for sure,” Mr Sammut said.

“My brother is also jumping on board. Ever since we were young we would stay up at stupid hours of the morning just to see Michael Mifsud and the team play.”

Despite living over 700 kilometres from Melbourne, Mr Sammut, whose grandparents are Maltese, vowed to go to as many Heart games as possible in the coming season.

Known as ‘the Mosquito’ because of his diminutive stature and tendency to pest defenders, Mifsud flew to Australia last Sunday to undergo a medical and sign a one-year contract if all goes well.

Speaking to Times of Malta last week, the 32-year-old striker said: “I’m delighted to be going to a city where there is a large Maltese community. Provided that everything goes to plan, I’m banking on their support.”

More and more of our supporters are starting to feel the buzz

Matthew Galea, 22, a Shepperton News sports journalist, said some Heart supporters seemed to think that the signing of Mifsud would galvanise Maltese-Australian fans in the same way that Sydney FC’s signing of Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero galvanised Italian-Australians.

Mr Galea, however, was not convinced that the signing would lead to significant increases in attendances.

“From what I’ve seen, there is a buzz among the Maltese community. Most people are talking about it. Will that equate to bums on seats? That’s a bit different,” he said.

Mr Galea thinks a goal-scoring start to the striker’s Heart career will be crucial in terms of attracting fans to the stadium, as “not even the Maltese will be interested in a misfiring Mifsud.”

While wishing the ex-Coventry City forward well in Australia, Mr Galea said: “I have some doubts, despite his English Championship experience, of how he will hold up against some of the defenders we have here.”

Nik Stagno Navarra, 29, said Heart’s signing of ex-Liverpool player Harry Kewell will be of greater commercial value than the signing of Mifsud, as the Maltese community were already big supporters of Heart or their rivals, Melbourne Victory.

Melbourne Heart placed a lowly ninth in the Australian league last season.

“I think the greater impact will be on Maltese football in general. There are a few players in the A-League that are eligible to play for Malta, so if Mifsud can get in their ear to play for the red and white that will be beneficial,” said Mr Stagno Navarra, who lived most of his life in Melbourne before moving to Sliema last year.

Cameron Osterlund, president of the Red and White Unite supporters group, said: “As more and more people have learned about him, more and more of our supporters are starting to feel the buzz, and that is definitely not exclusive to the Maltese community.

“Personally I am over the moon we are signing such a class act.”