39 Facts About Yossi Benayoun

Yossi Shai Benayoun is an Israeli former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

Yossi Benayoun spent most of his career in England and captained the Israel national team.

Yossi Benayoun holds the position of sporting director for Beitar Jerusalem the club that he last played for.

Yossi Benayoun was born in Dimona, Israel, to a family of Sephardic Moroccan Jewish descent.

Yossi Benayoun's father Dudu Benayoun was a footballer who played for Hapoel Dimona as well.

Jason Burt of The Independent reports that Yossi Benayoun's talent was spotted at the age of nine.

Haifa's goalkeeper, Nir Davidovich, saved the shot but Yossi Benayoun scored the rebound to give his team the win.

Seconds after scoring, while celebrating the winning and what he thought to be a league survival goal, Yossi Benayoun found out about the relegation and burst into tears.

Yossi Benayoun finished as the league's joint fourth-leading goalscorer that season, with 15 goals in 25 appearances.

In 1999, he confronted his manager Eli Cohen, when Yossi Benayoun allegedly refused to be substituted during a match.

The next season, Yossi Benayoun helped Maccabi Haifa win another championship, despite suffering from an injury at the beginning of the season.

Yossi Benayoun scored five times in 34 league matches in his first season at West Ham and three goals in 29 appearances his second season.

Yossi Benayoun had verbally agreed on a new four-year deal with West Ham in May 2007, only to go back on the agreement in a bid to move to Liverpool.

Yossi Benayoun made his first competitive start for Liverpool against Toulouse in the first leg of the third qualification round for the UEFA Champions League.

Yossi Benayoun ended a successful first season having played 48 games scoring 11 goals in the process, including four league goals against Wigan Athletic, Portsmouth, Aston Villa, and Birmingham City.

Yossi Benayoun's performance was not enough to prevent transfer rumours in the summer of 2008.

Yossi Benayoun had worn the number 11 during his first season at the club, but switched to his favourite number 15, the number he wore for Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Maccabi Haifa, Racing de Santander, West Ham United and Israel.

Again on 4 April 2009, Yossi Benayoun came on as a substitute in Liverpool's match against Fulham to score a dramatic winner in the 94th minute.

Yossi Benayoun finished his second season at Anfield in spectacular fashion; scoring a goal in each of Liverpool's last three home matches.

Yossi Benayoun established a regular starting position in the Liverpool team in the second half of the season.

Yossi Benayoun was the first player to score Premiership, Champions League and FA Cup hat tricks, but has since been joined by Sergio Aguero and Harry Kane.

Yossi Benayoun signed for Chelsea on 2 July 2010, agreeing on a three-year deal, and keeping him with the Stamford Bridge club until summer 2013.

Yossi Benayoun fully recovered from this injury and was played in the second half against Wigan Athletic on 9 April 2011.

On 26 August 2011, Yossi Benayoun offered Juan Mata his number 10 shirt.

On 31 August 2011, it was confirmed Yossi Benayoun had joined Arsenal on a one-year loan deal as he found chances at Chelsea limited.

Yossi Benayoun made his debut on 10 September 2011 coming on as a second-half substitute for Andrei Arshavin against Swansea City.

Yossi Benayoun started the match against Tottenham Hotspur on 26 February 2012.

Yossi Benayoun then started the match against Manchester City on 8 April 2012, and nearly had a chance to score in the second half, but only to see his stabbing shot take a deflection, which then came off the post.

Yossi Benayoun was substituted in the second half for Aaron Ramsey, and just like in the match against Tottenham, the Arsenal fans gave him a standing ovation when leaving the pitch.

Yossi Benayoun played no further games for West Ham and returned to Chelsea in December 2012.

Yossi Benayoun had played only six games on loan with West Ham.

Yossi Benayoun was appointed the team's captain, replacing veteran Yaniv Katan who retired from football.

Yossi Benayoun had some confrontations with the fans, and after he and Haifa won the cup, he announced he was leaving Haifa and joining longtime rivals Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Yossi Benayoun played one season in Maccabi Tel Aviv, scoring only one league goal and failing to win any title.

Yossi Benayoun was a member of the Israel U16 team that came third in the 1996 UEFA European Under-16 Championship.

Yossi Benayoun scored his first international hat-trick in a UEFA Euro 2000 qualifier against San Marino at Ramat Gan Stadium on 8 September 1999.

Just prior to the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers, Yossi Benayoun was given the captaincy of the Israeli national team.

In eight appearances in the qualifiers, Yossi Benayoun has scored two goals.

Yossi Benayoun is Israel's most capped player of all time with 102 caps, and their joint third top scorer with 24 international goals.