Brian Said (born 15 May 1973 in

Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an Local councils of Malta, administrative unit and capital city, capital of Malta. Located on the Malta (island), main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, i ...

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

) is a professional footballer currently managing

Maltese First Division The Maltese Challenge League (referred to as the BOV Challenge League for sponsorship reasons) is the second-highest division in Maltese football, behind the Maltese Premier League. The First Division was the precursor of the present Premier L ...

side St. Andrews, and captain of the Luxol St Andrew's Veteran Team, where he plays as a defender. Brian is tall and strong in the air and can generally compensate for his lack of speed with his ability to read the game. Said is also well known for his contribution to goal scoring, and is often a threat from set pieces.

Playing career

St. Andrews

Brian Said started his career with St. Andrews, playing regularly in the first team from the 1991–1992 season. Early in his career he was used both as a

midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...

and even as a striker. In total Brian Said recorded 51 appearances with St. Andrews, and scored ten goals.

Birkirkara

Said spent the 1994–1995 season on loan with

Birkirkara Birkirkara (abbreviated as B'Kara) is a city in the central region of Malta. It is the second most populous on the island, with 24,356 inhabitants as of 2020. The town consists of five autonomous parishes: Saint Helen, Saint Joseph the Worker, Ou ...

, where he made 17 appearances and scored on one occasion.

Floriana

Next for Said was a move to

Floriana Floriana ( mt, Il-Furjana or ''Il-Floriana''), also known by its title Borgo Vilhena, is a fortified town in the South Eastern Region area of Malta, just outside the capital city Valletta. It has a population of 2,205 as of March 2014. Floriana i ...

in 1995. Now firmly settled in a

central defender In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...

, his performances eventually earned him a call-up to the Malta national team. Brian spent six successful seasons with

from 1995 to 2001, where he recorded 119 appearances and scored six goals for the club.

Sliema Wanderers

In 2001, Said moved to the ambitious

Sliema Wanderers Sliema Wanderers Football Club, nicknamed "tax-Xelin" ( of the shilling), is a professional Maltese football club. It is the most successful team in Malta and hails from the seaside town of Sliema. It currently plays in the Maltese Premier Leag ...

. Brian now an integral member of the Maltese national team produced some great performances during his time with

, and even became the team's

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

, taking over from

legend Noel Turner. During seven successful seasons spanning from 2001 to 2008, Brian made 181 appearances for The Wanderers, and scored 14 goals.

Marsaxlokk

In July 2008 it was confirmed that

Marsaxlokk Marsaxlokk () is a small, traditional fishing village in the South Eastern Region of Malta. It has a harbour, and is a tourist attraction known for its views, fishermen and history. As at March 2014, the village had a population of 3,534. The ...

had signed Brian Said from

. It is possible that Said will form a partnership with another former

defender, in the shape of Carlo Mamo. Brian made his league debut for

on 24 August 2008, where the side played newly promoted

Qormi Qormi ( mt, Ħal Qormi ; pronounced in the Qormi dialect), also known by its title Città Pinto, is a city in the Southern Region of Malta, southwest of Valletta in the centre of the island. It has a population of 16,324 (as of March 2018), mak ...

. Said played the full match, in which both sides shared a 1–1 draw. During one full season with

, Brian made 24 appearances and scored two goals.

Floriana

Following Marsaxlokk's relegation to the

, a clause in Said's contract was activated, allowing him to leave the club for free. On 28 September 2009 it was confirmed that Brian Said had joined

for the second time in his career.

International goals

:''Scores and results list Malta's goal tally first.''

References

External links

Brian Said at MaltaFootball.com
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Said, Brian 1973 births Living people Maltese footballers Malta international footballers Birkirkara F.C. players Floriana F.C. players Sliema Wanderers F.C. players Marsaxlokk F.C. players People from Valletta St. Andrews F.C. players Association football defenders