John Buttigieg (born 5 October 1963) is a Maltese football manager and former player. His last managerial role was being head coach of Floriana. As a player, he played as a defender and is best remembered for his eight-year spells in the Maltese Premier League with Sliema Wanderers and Floriana. He also played in England for Brentford and Swindon Town and won 97 caps for the Malta national team. After retiring as a player, he managed Birkirkara, Malta, Sliema Wanderers and Floriana. Playing career Sliema Wanderers A sweeper, Buttigieg began his career at hometown Maltese Premier League club Sliema Wanderers at age 16. He established himself in the team during the 1981–82 season, missing just two league games as the club finished runners-up to Hibernians in the league and the Maltese FA Trophy. The Blues were relegated in the following season, but reclaimed their place in the Premier League by finishing as 1983–84 First Division champions. Buttigieg's best season came in 1987–88, when his performances earned him the Maltese Premier League Player of the Year award. The Blues would go on to win the league the title the following season, but Buttigieg managed just one appearance before departing the club in November 1988. He made 75 league appearances and scored six goals during eight years with Sliema. He also tasted European football with the club, appearing in the Cup Winners' Cup in the 1982–83 and 1987–88 seasons. Brentford Buttigieg played for English Third Division club Brentford in a pre-season friendly tournament prior to the start of the beginning of the 1988–89 season, after being spotted by manager Steve Perryman's former colleague Peter Shreeves while playing in Northern Ireland for Malta. He eventually signed for the Bees on 2 November 1988 for a £40,000 fee. Buttigieg was brought in to play his natural sweeper role, but the Brentford defenders had trouble adapting to the system, which led Perryman to revert to using a normal defensive line and reducing Buttigieg to making cameo appearances in various positions off the bench. He made 19 appearances in what remained of the 1988–89 season and was a part of the Bees' run to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, where they were knocked out by Liverpool. Buttigieg began the 1989–90 season in an unfamiliar right back role and gradually fell out of the first team picture. The departure of Perryman as manager and his replacement