Luke Dimech
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| Luke Dimech | ||
 |
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| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Luke Dimech | |
| Date of birth | January 11, 1977 | |
| Place of birth | Valletta, Malta | |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | |
| Playing position | Defender | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | Unattached | |
| Youth clubs | ||
| Lincoln City | ||
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 1995–2001 2002 2003 2003–2005 2005–2006 2006–2007 2007–2008 |
Sliema Wanderers Shamrock Rovers Birkirkara Mansfield Town Chester City Marsaxlokk Macclesfield Town |
133 (3) 16 (0) 10 (0) 45 (1) 30 (0) 26 (0) 26 (0) |
| National team2 | ||
1999– |
Malta U21 Malta |
14 (0) 56 (1) |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
||
Luke Dimech (born January 11, 1977 in Valletta, Malta) is a professional footballer, who most recently played for League Two side Macclesfield Town, where he played as a defender.
Contents |
[edit] Playing career
[edit] Sliema Wanderers
Dimech began his career playing for Sliema Wanderers. Luke's first season was the 1995/96 season and instantly gained silverware when the club won the Maltese Premier League.
Luke spent seven seasons with the club and even managed establishing himself in the national team in 1999, in total Dimech made 133 appearances and scored on three occasions during his time with the club.
[edit] Shamrock Rovers
After many impressive displays Luke moved to Ireland to join Shamrock Rovers for one season, making his debut on the 2nd of September 2002 [1]. He got sent off on his 4th appearance [2]. Went on to make a total of 16 appearances, but after falling out of favour with the club, Luke left Dublin. Played in the 2002 FAI Cup Final.
[edit] Birkirkara
Dimech returned to Malta joining up with Birkirkara in 2003, and made 10 appearances with the club.
[edit] Mansfield Town
Another good season in the Maltese League saw Luke on the move again, this time he joined English side Mansfield Town in August, 2003[1].
Luke initially signed a one-year deal with the club but at the end of the 2003/04 season, Luke enjoyed some very dominant displays, but the season finished with disappointment when Mansfield Town were beaten in the League Two play-off final on penalties to Huddersfield Town. Despite the disappointment Luke was rewarded for some very impressive displays with another one-year contract[2].
Luke's second season with Mansfield Town was quite indifferent in the early part of the season; Keith Curle was sacked and replaced by Carlton Palmer. Dimech carried the good form he enjoyed the following season and cemented a place in the heart of the defence, Luke didn't enjoy the best of second halfs of the season and after falling out of favour with Carlton Palmer, Dimech was released at the end of the 2004/05 season. In two seasons with Mansfield Town Luke made 45 appearances and scored one goal.
[edit] Chester City
His next move was onto another English club, Chester City on a free in July, 2005 on a one-year contract. His manager was once again Keith Curle and his central defensive partner was David Artell, who moved with him from Mansfield.
Luke was a regular in the heart of the Chester City defence and made 30 appearances during the 2005/06. Having only a one-year contract at the club and an indifferent second half to the season meant that Luke was released when his contract expired[3].
[edit] Marsaxlokk
Dimech then returned back in his homeland joining Marsaxlokk in 2006 in time for the new season. Luke has also captained the side during the season, in the absence of Carlo Mamo. He was also still very much a major part of the Malta national team setup, forming a strong partnership alongside veteran Brian Said.
Following Marsaxlokk triumph in the league, and the end of the players contract, Dimech decided not to renew and instead decided to search for a club elsewhere in Europe, thought to be England.
[edit] Macclesfield Town
On July 19, 2007, Luke signed a one-year deal with manager Ian Brightwell to join League Two side Macclesfield Town[4] and was re-united with Carl Regan who he played alongside in Chester City's defence.
Dimech made his Macclesfield Town debut on the opening day of the League Two season away to Bradford City on August 11, 2007, in which the game finished 1-1. Three days later Luke made his home debut in the first round tie of Football League Cup against League One outfit Leeds United, the game finished 1-0 to Leeds United, thanks to 78th minute goal from Ian Westlake.
On January 31, 2008 the Dimech and Carl Regan partnership came to an end as Regan joined former Macclesfield Town manager Paul Ince at Milton Keynes Dons. As one of Lukes former Chester City team mates left the club, another one arrived in the shape of Sean Hessey who joined the club on a season long loan from Chester City, and is likely to fill the void left by the departing Regan.
It was announced on May 18, 2008 that Dimech along with four other Macclesfield Town players where to be released by manager Keith Alexander.
During his time with Macclesfield Town, Luke made 26 appearances, but didn't find the net during his time with the club.
[edit] International career
[edit] 
Malta
Luke is a regular in the Maltese national team and to date has 55 caps with one goal. He began playing for Malta on April 28, 1999 when he made his debut against Iceland.
[edit] Honours
[edit] Sliema Wanderers
Winner
- 1995/96 Maltese Premier League
[edit] Marsaxlokk
Winner
- 2006/07 Maltese Premier League
[edit] Personal Life
- Luke has a younger brother called Mark who plays in England for Basford United in the Nottinghamshire Senior League, and is also the team's captain.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Luke Dimech at MaltaFootball.com
- Luke Dimech at MTFC.co.uk
- Luke Dimech career stats at Soccerbase
- National Football Teams
