| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gilbert Agius | ||
| Date of birth | 21 February 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | Valletta, Malta | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1990– | Valletta | 407 | (177) |
| 2001–2002 | → Pisa Calcio (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| Malta U17 | |||
| Malta U19 | |||
| Malta U21 | |||
| 1993– | Malta | 119 | (8) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 12 November 2010. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Gilbert Agius (born 21 February 1974 in Valletta, Malta) is a professional Maltese footballer. He currently plays as a midfielder or as a striker for the Maltese Premier League side Valletta.
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Agius is the captain of his club side Valletta and the malta national team and is one of the most well known and highly respected figures in maltese football history. He is hailed as a hero by the Valletta fans, due to his loyalty to his hometown club, where he has been since 1990, except for the first half of the 2001–02 season which he spent on loan to then-Serie C1 club Pisa.
Gilbert Agius has received three M.F.A. Player of the Year awards - no other player has more than two awards. The first was won in 1996–97, the second in Valletta's successful 2000–01 season, the third in 2006–07.
At the start of the 2007–08 season Agius was on trial with Enköpings SK, but later he opted to stay with Valletta. At the end of 2007 Agius was out with a thigh injury for several months. He returned just as the team started fulfilling its potential, and led Valletta to the first title since 2000–01. He won a single Player of the Month award during the season (September 2007) and was chosen as Best Local Player in the maltese Football Awards at the end of the 2007–08 season.
Gilbert has recorded a remarkable 119 caps for his country, making him the second most capped player in Malta's history. Although Agius is currently not forming part of the national team, a recall could give him the opportunity of beating the record of 122 caps, which is held by David Carabott. For the national team, he has often been used a defensive midfielder in recent years. Not due to exceptional defensive skills, but due to his ability to distribute the ball. So far he has scored 8 goals for the national team. At club level he still plays primarily as a supporting forward.
Agius' goal in a 1–1 friendly game against Austria was voted Goal of the Season in the 2006–07 Malta Football Awards.
Malta Goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 14 August 1996 | Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland | Iceland | 1-2 | Friendly | |
| 2. | 8 June 1997 | Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands | Faroe Islands | 1-2 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifying | |
| 3. | 6 February 2000 | Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta | Azerbaijan | 3-0 | Rothmans Cup | |
| 4. | 6 February 2000 | Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta | Azerbaijan | 3-0 | Rothmans Cup | |
| 5. | 5 September 2001 | Na Stínadlech, Teplice, Czech Republic | Czech Republic | 2-2 | 2-3 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying |
| 6. | 11 February 2002 | Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta | Lithuania | 1-1 | 1-1 | Rothmans Cup |
| 7. | 15 November 2006 | Hibernians Ground, Paola, Malta | Lithuania | 1-3 | 1-4 | Friendly |
| 8. | 7 February 2007 | Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta, Malta | Austria | 1-0 | 1-1 | Friendly |
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