KARACHI: Pakistan international winger Mohammad Adil leaves for Malta on Friday, hoping to impress BOV Premier League side Pembroke Athleta during a three-week trial.

“My dream is about to come to fruition,” Adil told Dawn on Thursday. “I’ve always had the ambition to play in Europe and this trial is taking me closer to my goal. I hope I can impress the coaches at Pembroke.”

Pembroke won promotion to the Maltese first division earlier this season and Adil is hoping he can help the side establish a strong presence amongst Malta’s top teams.

“The aim after getting a contract there is to help the team establish a strong foothold in the Premier League,” said Adil, who refused to extend his contract with Kyrgyz giants Dordoi Bishkek earlier this month having been with the side since 2004.

“Dordoi offered me an improved contract but I felt the time was ripe to chase my dream of playing in Europe.”

Adil rose to prominence at Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) where he won three successive Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL) titles from 2011 to 2013 whilst also guiding the side to the final of the AFC President’s Cup in 2013.

His explosive runs and a keen eye for goal then saw him become the first Pakistan player to be offered a professional contract when he was signed up by Dordoi in January 2014, winning the Kyrgyz Shoro Top League in his first season.

The tenacious 23-year-old linked up with player agency Kora Stars last week and said he also had trial offers from Thailand, Jordan and Morocco.

But he hopes to make it big in Europe and fulfill his ambition of playing in the UEFA Champions League and the Europa League.

The BOV Premier League champions enter Europe’s premier club competition in the second qualifying round while the runners-up and third-placed teams, along with the Maltese Cup winners, enter the first qualifying round of the Europa League.

“It’s an ambition for me,” Adil said. “Taking Pembroke to the qualifying rounds of either competition would be fantastic, both personally and professionally.”

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2016