Cain Attard is set to start a new football chapter in his career as he will embark on his maiden spell abroad after joining Os Belenenses in Portugal.
Attard, 28, leaves Birkirkara after eight seasons in which he amassed over 200 appearances for the Stripes, establishing himself as one of the most prominent figures at the club.
He captained Birkirkara to last season’s FA Trophy triumph, beating Marsaxlokk in the final which allowed him to wrap up his Stripes adventure in the best possible way.
At international level, Attard has collected 18 caps for Malta and scored two goals – both recorded in the memorable 3-0 win over Cyprus during the 2022 World Cup qualifications.
His new club can count on his versatility with Attard more than capable to apply himself in various defensive positions and shapes, most notably as wingback or a central defender in a three-man backline.
Os Belenenses will be playing in Portugal’s second-tier after clinching promotion to Liga Portugal 2 (third-tier) via the play-offs, last season.
After placing fourth in the regular season, Os Belenenses topped their four-team play-off group to secure their fifth consecutive promotion since 2017/2018.
They will launch their league campaign on August 13 with an away game at AVS.
Meanwhile, Attard could be in line to make his competitive debut already in July when they host top-flight side Famalicao in the first round Portuguese League Cup. The winner of the tie will then face Estoril or Pacos de Ferreira in the following round.
One-time national champions, Belenenses is one of the oldest teams in Portugal.
Prior to their separation with Belenenses SAD in 2017/2018, Os enjoyed positive runs even in European football including in their latest appearance in 2015/2016 when they met Basel, Lech Poznan and Fiorentina in the group stages of the Europa League.
Following the separation, Os Belenenses registered as an amateur team, started from the seventh-tier and are now just one division away from Portugal’s elite.
