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Yossi Benayoun
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Position: Midfielder
Date of Birth: 05/05/1980
Height: 5'8
Weight: 9st 8
1st team games: 48
1st team goals: 11
International caps: 63
International goals: 15
Former clubs: Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Maccabi Haifa, Racing Santander, West Ham United
Birth Place: Dimona, Israel
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Yossi Benayoun signed from West Ham in July 2007 for a fee of approximately £5m, his signing seen by many as a replacement for Luis Garcia, who had moved to Atletico Madrid as part of the deal that brought Fernando Torres to Liverpool.
The Israeli skipper began his career as a youngster at local club at Hapoel Be'er Sheva. Aged 15 he was invited to join the Ajax Academy but homesickness meant he spent just one full season in Holland before returning to Hapoel. He broke into the first team soon after his return in 1997, scoring 15 goals in his debut season, but his efforts were not enough and the club was relegated, and a move to Maccabi Haifa beckoned. Several foreign clubs had expressed an interest, but three years of national service would keep him at home until the age of 21.
After 130 appearances and 55 goals in four seasons for Haifa, the midfielder was on his way to northern Spain and Racing Santander. Benayoun enjoyed three seasons in with the club, managing 21 goals in 101 matches before the club was forced to cash in due to financial problems.
West Ham was his next destination, with the club reportedly paying £2.5million for Benayoun in the summer of 2005, though he two assists against Blackburn Rovers on the opening day of the season went some way towards repaying that fee.
After 2 seasons at West Ham Benitez pounced for the Isreali midfielder, and once a fee had bee agreed h Benayoun was on his way to Anfield, and made his debut in a Champions League qualifier against Toulouse on August 15, 2007.
Benayoun managed a total of 11 goals during his debut season at Liverpool, a good return considering he wasn't always an automatic choice and many of his 48 appearances were from the bench.
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