Former Liverpool player switched allegiance to represent Malta.
Australia-based midfielder Jake Brimmer is now eligible to represent the Malta national team, ending a seven-year pursuit by the Malta FA to secure his services.
A report on the Isuzu UTE A-League website had confirmed that the 27-year-old, who has played for Australia at U17s and U20s level, has switched his international allegiance to Malta.
Brimmer qualifies through his grandfather, who was born and raised on the Mediterranean island before emigrating to Australia in his late teens.
The former Liverpool academy player told aleagues.com.au that Malta had been interested in him for a long time.
“Malta has been chasing me for a good seven years if I’m being honest. Obviously, earlier on, my dream was to play for the Socceroos. Football is a matter of timing… Two years later I won the Johnny Warren Medal and there was an opportunity and a chance for me to do that. I never got picked for that.
I spoke to my wife, and we sort of both agreed that it was an opportunity and a perfect time now to start getting my name out there again. Although there’s some difficult teams that you come up against, you never know — it takes one game to impress and you might find yourself back over there.”
The development comes as no surprise. In recent months, Malta FA president Bjorn Vassallo repeatedly stressed his intention to strengthen the national team by recruiting players of Maltese descent.
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Speaking on the SportsDesk podcast in May, Vassallo explained, “We have young and experienced players as well as players of Maltese descent that are new to the group, and I cannot exclude that we will have more foreign-based players joining this team to make our side more competitive.
Our birth rate in Malta is decreasing, and we need to be on the lookout for players of Maltese origins to join our national team and make sure we don’t miss out on this opportunity.”
Brimmer stressed that the decision was not motivated by frustration with the Socceroos selection process.
“This isn’t a decision based on me not getting picked for the Socceroos, or me not believing that I will get in the Socceroos. It was a decision that at this point in my life, it was an opportunity for me to be over in Europe.
When I won the Johnny Warren Medal, that was like the peak of (Malta’s interest). They obviously wanted to snatch me then and there… This year from start to finish, they were messaging me, keeping tabs on me. Got to the end of the season, and I thought you know what? Why not? It’s an opportunity to again put my face out there.”
Brimmer brings significant experience, having made over 170 A-League appearances for Perth Glory, Melbourne Victory, and most recently Auckland FC, where he helped the club claim the Premiership in their debut season. He scored three goals and provided three assists, with Auckland narrowly missing out on the 2024/2025 Grand Final.
He also praised Malta’s persistence. “I can’t thank them enough. For seven years, they’ve been trying to get me and part of me believes that, in hindsight, maybe I could have gone a bit earlier. But again, I’m a big believer in everything happens for a reason.
Trent Buhagiar – what an opportunity. I look at all these players that have gone and changed association to play first-team national football. I can assure you that I’ll go there and be the best version of myself and put on performances that are to the best of my ability.”
Malta will resume their World Cup qualifying campaign on September 4 with a crucial away clash against Lithuania in Vilnius. The team will then host the Netherlands in October before meeting Bosnia and Herzegovina in a friendly.
