Floriana striker Kemar Reid has acquired Maltese citizenship as the Jamaican-born forward has been living in Malta for several years, the Premier League club announced.
The Jamaican forward has been in hot form in the Premier League for the Greens and the news that he has been granted Maltese citizenship by naturalisation is a major boost for coach Mauro Camoranesi who, Reid given homegrown status, can field another foreign player in his team.
“Floriana FC communicates that player Kemar Reid has obtained Maltese citizenship by naturalisation on the 27th of October 2023,” the Premier League club said in a statement.
“The Club will be submitting the newly obtained certificate of citizenship to the Malta Football Association so that he can be considered as a homegrown player with immediate effect.”
Reid arrived in Malta in 2016 when he was signed by Mosta and since then he remained playing in Maltese football.
In fact, after playing for Mosta he moved to St Andrews in 2017 before heading to Żejtun Corinthians in 2020.
The following year he joined another Premier League club, Sirens FC, before finally making the move to Floriana in January 2022.
Reid has been one of the most in-form players for Mauro Camoranesi’s team this season, and is currently sitting in second place in the top scorers’ list with five goals.
His biggest contribution for Floriana came when he scored a fine brace in his team’s 2-0 win over Hibernians earlier this season.
Reid is the second player forming part of the Floriana FC squad that has been given a Maltese passport in recent years.
Argentine-born midfielder Matias Garcia has also been granted a Maltese passport through the citizenship-by-merit programme that was introduced by the government a few years ago.
Reid’s naturalisation as a Maltese player is a major boost for national coach Michele Marcolini who has a dearth of forwards and the Jamaican-born forward surely bolsters his options ahead of next year’s UEFA Nations League qualifiers where Malta is targeting a historic promotion to League C.
