Former Malta defender Jonathan Caruana set to retire from football

Former Malta international defender Jonathan Caruana is set to retire from football, the Times of Malta can reveal.

Caruana, 34, has made a name for himself in Maltese football through his distinguished career that saw him collect 10 trophies during his spells at Hibernians and Valletta.

The former defender played over 300 games in the Premier League, where he managed to score 19 goals as well. He was the 42nd player to reach that milestone in the domestic league.

He won the domestic title seven times, with his first triumph dating back to the 2008/2009 season at Hibernians before winning six others as Valletta player.

At the age of 17, the central defender made his senior debut for Hibernians on the last day of the Premier Division against Marsaxlokk, in a 4-1 victory in 2004. In 2006, he also made 16 appearances for Mosta during a six-month loan during Hibernians spell.

In 2013/2014, Caruana won his only FA Trophy at Valletta. He played 25 games with two goals in this competition. In addition, he also won the Super Cup on two occasions – in 2011 and 2012.

Caruana has also played 24 games in UEFA club competitions, scoring twice in an 8-0 win over Lusitanos of Andorra back in 2012 and in a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade, four years later.

At international level, Caruana collected 45 caps after representing Malta at youth level as well. His senior debut came in a friendly match against Austria in 2008, under the guidance of coach Dusan Fitzel.

His only two international goals came in two rare wins for the national team – a 1-0 victory over Liechtenstein in 2012 and in the 3-2 win over the Faroe Islands in 2013, both international friendlies.