Manuel Bartolo's Profile
| Manuel Bartolo | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Date of Birth: | 26 August 1983 | |
| Age: | 41 Years | |
| Height: | 175cm | |
| Weight: | 67kg | |
| Nationality: | Maltese | |
| Position: | Goalkeeper | |
| Previous Club: | Msida SJ FC | |
| Joined In: | August 2010 | |
| Debut with Club: | 11 September 2010 [Vs. Sliema Wanderers FC] | |
| Career Statistics | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Season | Played | Started | Substitute |  |
 |
 |
 |
| Senior | 2010-2011 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 12 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
Manuel Bartolo was born on 26 August 1983 and he is one of the most talented Maltese goalkeepers in Malta.
Bartolo's first appearance in the Premier League Division was with Msida St. Joseph and in fact, it was the only club that Manual had ever played for in this division. His debut was in the 2005-2006 season, coincidentally, when Birkirkara had managed to win their 2nd Premier League Championship when the 'Saints' held Sliema Wanderers in a 3-3 draw with Birkirkara seven points ahead with just two matches to go.
From then on, thanks to his skills and determination, Manuel never looked back. In fact during his spell with Msida SJ, he was always their number one choice between the posts. This came as no surprise as Bartolo's skills are impressive, making it nearly impossible for a striker to put the ball into the net.
In the 2009-2010 season, he was playing for Msida SJ and despite 'The Saints' being relegated, Manuel's performances were always satisfying and it was no wonder that after Msida were relegated, several top clubs in the Premier League were interested in the services of Manuel Bartolo including of course, the Maltese Premier League Champions, Birkirkara.
Although Manuel was of interest to several top clubs, finally it was the Champions who managed to achieve his signature. This made him the second goalkeeper to join our Club, as Esequiel Lovizon signed for 'The Stripes' in the middle of June, while the Maltese goalkeeper, Omar Borg was loaned out to Hamrun Spartans for the 2010-2011 season.
Manuel was first seen with our shirt on the 3 August 2010 in a friendly tournament with Qormi and Marsaxlokk, with Bartolo playing the 2nd and final match against Marsaxlokk with 'The Stripes' beating 'The Blues' with a 3-2 score line. Although Bartolo suffered two goals in his first appearance it was a satisfactory one.
In this season Manuel made 12 appearances, eleven of which he started from the beginning. Manuel's season with our Club could be described as a positive one as whenever he was defending the posts be was always there to avert the danger. Manuel had several good matches but without doubt his best match was on the 19th March in the Quarter Final of the U*BET FA Trophy when after some wonderful saves which denied Sliema to score more goals, he was the hero in the penalty shout out when he saved two penalties which were enough for Birkirkara to advance to the Semi Final.
In the end of the season, his loan spell with our Club expired and he returned to his Club, Msida St. Joseph
