Joseph Zerafa's Profile
| Joseph Zerafa | ||
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| Date of Birth: | 31 May 1988 | |
| Age: | 36 Years | |
| Height: | 172cm | |
| Weight: | 77kg | |
| Nationality: | Maltese | |
| Position: | Defender | |
| Previous Club: | Youth Academy | |
| Debut with Club: | 20 April 2006 [Vs. Valletta] | |
| Career Statistics | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Season | Played | Started | Substitute |  |
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| Senior | 2005-2006 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Senior | 2006-2007 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Senior | 2007-2008 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Senior | 2008-2009 | 24 | 24 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Senior | 2009-2010 | 22 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Senior | 2010-2011 | 24 | 23 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Senior | 2011-2012 | 33 | 32 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Senior | 2012-2013 | 34 | 32 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Senior | 2013-2014 | 33 | 30 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Senior | 2014-2015 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Senior | 2015-2016 | 28 | 26 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Senior | 2016-2017 | 36 | 34 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 278 | 245 | 33 | 81 | 7 | 6 | 0 | |
Joseph Zerafa was born on the 31 May 1988. He came through the ranks of our Youth Academy and he plays as a left-back where he stands out thanks to his speed on the flank and powerful overlaps.
He began his football career with Sirens, at the age of just six years old. He joined his hometown youth nursery Mgarr United the following year where he spent four years. At the age of thirteen years, he joined Hibernians where he spent two years, before moving to our Club at the age of sixteen where his long spell with our Club began.
The 2005-2006 season was a memorable one for the promising youngster as Zerafa made his debut with the Senior Team and to make it round it off in style, the Stripes won their second Premier League title in their history. Joseph made his debut in the 3-0 victory over Valletta on the 20 April 2006 and despite this was the first and only appearance for Zerafa in this season, it was surely the step that arrived Joseph to make it to the Senior Team.
In the following season, Joseph found more space as he made ten appearances, in which seven were from the start, while a notable mark was his first goal with the Senior Team. His first goal with the Senior Team arrived on the 5 May 2007, in the 2-1 victory over Msida SJ where Joseph scored the equalising goal.
Joseph continued to stand out, and his next personal achievement was reached on the 31 March 2009, when he made his debut with Malta Under-21’s National Team in the 2-0 defeat against Slovenia. Joseph started the match and played all the ninety minutes.
The second Premier League title for Zerafa, arrived in the 2009-2010 season where Birkirkara were crowned Champions for the third time in their history, just three weeks before turning twenty-two years old. He made twenty-two appearances throughout this season.
His hard-work and positive performances awarded him his first appearance with the National Team. He made his debut with the National Team on the 10 February 2011, in the goal-less draw against Switzerland where he was included as a substitute.
With Joseph established as a regular left-back at the heart of the Birkirkara defence, he was offered a three-year contract which he signed on Tuesday, 28 June 2011.
Zerafa continued to build on his superb performances as once again the speedy left back enjoyed another magnificent season which lead to the Stripes to clinch their fourth Premier League Championship in the 2012-2013 season which was his third with the Club. During this season, he made thirty-four appearances and scored one goal.
In the last days of the Summer Transfer Market, ambitious Joseph left the Club to try his luck abroad and he joined Grays Athletic, a Club in the Isthmian Premier League Division, a region’s league covering London, East and South England.
Joseph’s experience was a satisfactory one as he made twelve appearances and in the January Transfer Market, he joined Welling United. However, his adventure with Welling lasted only one month as after the Stripes contacted back Zerafa, he re-joined our Club on the 22 February 2015. After re-joining our squad, Joseph won his regular place back by making ten appearances in the BOV Premier League.
In the beginning of the 2015-2016 season, Joseph signed a fresh two-year contract with our Club on Monday, 1 June 2015.
| Last Matches Played |
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