Ben Sahar facts for kids
Sahar in 2012
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ben Sahar | ||
| Date of birth | 10 August 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Holon, Israel | ||
| Height | 1.80 m | ||
| Playing position | Striker, winger | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Hapoel Tel Aviv | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2006 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | ||
| 2006–2007 | Chelsea | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2007–2009 | Chelsea | 3 | (0) |
| 2007 | → Queens Park Rangers (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2008 | → Sheffield Wednesday (loan) | 12 | (3) |
| 2008 | → Portsmouth (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2009 | → De Graafschap (loan) | 16 | (5) |
| 2009–2012 | Espanyol | 22 | (1) |
| 2010–2011 | → Hapoel Tel Aviv (loan) | 30 | (16) |
| 2011–2012 | → Auxerre (loan) | 21 | (3) |
| 2012–2014 | Hertha BSC | 18 | (2) |
| 2013 | → Hertha BSC II | 7 | (3) |
| 2013–2014 | → Arminia Bielefeld (loan) | 14 | (4) |
| 2014–2015 | Willem II | 34 | (7) |
| 2015–2021 | Hapoel Be'er Sheva | 151 | (62) |
| 2020–2021 | → APOEL (loan) | 32 | (6) |
| 2021–2023 | Maccabi Haifa | 20 | (1) |
| 2023–2024 | Maccabi Petah Tikva | 23 | (4) |
| 2024– | Hapoel Tel Aviv | 10 | (1) |
| National team | |||
| 2005–2006 | Israel U17 | 6 | (5) |
| 2006 | Israel U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 2006–2010 | Israel U21 | 16 | (8) |
| 2007–2019 | Israel | 44 | (8) |
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Ben Sahar is an Israeli professional footballer born on August 10, 1989. He plays as a striker for Hapoel Tel Aviv. Ben has also played for the Israel national team.
Contents
- Early Life and Background
- Ben Sahar's Club Career
- International Career
- Career Statistics
- Honours and Trophies
- See also
Early Life and Background
Ben Sahar was born in Holon, Israel. His family is Jewish. His father is Israeli and works as an electrician, while his mother teaches sports. Ben grew up in Modi'in, Israel.
Before joining Chelsea F.C., Ben also got a Polish passport. This was because his mother has Polish and Latvian Jewish family roots. Having a Polish passport allowed him to play in football leagues in the EU without being counted as a foreign player. This was a big help for his career in Europe.
As an Israeli citizen, Ben was expected to serve in the military for three years. This is a common requirement in Israel. However, because he was a professional footballer, there was talk about a special law that would let him do national service in England instead. This law didn't pass, so Ben joined the Israel Defense Forces. When he was on vacation in Israel, he had to visit his military base.
Ben Sahar's Club Career
Ben Sahar started playing football in his hometown of Modi'in. He joined the Sportop Football Academy before moving to the youth team of Hapoel Tel Aviv. He was promoted to the main team but moved to Chelsea before playing any matches for Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Playing for Chelsea
In May 2006, Ben Sahar signed with Chelsea in England. He was only 16 years old. Chelsea paid about £320,000 to bring him from Hapoel Tel Aviv. He had already spent two months trying out with Chelsea.
Ben made his first team debut for Chelsea in the FA Cup on January 6, 2007. He came on as a substitute against Macclesfield Town. A few days later, he played in the League Cup against Wycombe Wanderers. On January 13, 2007, he made his Premiership debut against Wigan Athletic. He played two more Premier League games for Chelsea that season.
Loan to Queens Park Rangers
On July 26, 2007, Ben joined Queens Park Rangers (QPR) on loan for three months. He scored two goals in a friendly game against Fulham, helping QPR win 2–1. His loan was extended, but he had many injuries and didn't score in his nine league games for QPR.
Loan to Sheffield Wednesday
After his time at QPR, Ben went on loan to Sheffield Wednesday on February 21, 2008. He scored his first goal for them on March 22, 2008, against Crystal Palace. He scored two more important goals against Scunthorpe United and Norwich City. The goal against Norwich City helped Sheffield Wednesday stay in the Championship league. He finished with three goals in 12 games for Sheffield Wednesday.
Loan to Portsmouth
On July 1, 2008, Ben joined Portsmouth on a six-month loan. He played well in pre-season games, scoring against teams like Kano Pillars. However, he didn't play in any official matches for Portsmouth. He was often a substitute but never got to play. Ben felt disappointed because he didn't get a chance to show his skills.
Loan to De Graafschap
Ben moved to Eredivisie side De Graafschap in the Netherlands on loan on January 2, 2009. He played for them until the end of the season. He scored his first two goals for De Graafschap in a friendly match. His first league goal came on January 17, 2009, against Willem II. He scored five goals and made one assist in 16 league games for De Graafschap. He also scored one goal and made two assists in the play-off games to avoid relegation.
Moving to Espanyol
In the summer of 2009, Ben Sahar moved to Espanyol in Spain for £1 million. He signed a four-year deal. On August 2, 2009, he scored two goals in a friendly match against Liverpool. These goals were scored at Espanyol's new stadium, the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat. Ben scored his first league goal for Espanyol on September 23, 2009, with a header against Málaga. This was also the club's first goal at their new stadium in a competitive game.
Loan to Hapoel Tel Aviv
On July 20, 2010, Ben returned to his youth club, Hapoel Tel Aviv, on a one-year loan. He scored his first goal for Hapoel Tel Aviv in a 2010–11 UEFA Champions League qualifying match. At first, he found it hard to score in the Israeli league. But when another player got injured, Ben got more playing time and started scoring more goals.
Loan to Auxerre
On July 4, 2011, Ben joined Ligue 1 team Auxerre in France on a one-year loan. Auxerre had the option to buy him permanently, but they decided not to at the end of his loan.
Playing for Hertha BSC
On July 19, 2012, Ben Sahar signed with 2. Bundesliga team Hertha BSC in Germany. He joined them for free after leaving Espanyol. He made his league debut for Hertha on September 16, 2012.
Loan to Arminia Bielefeld
From January to June 2014, Ben was on loan to Arminia Bielefeld.
Time at Willem II
On July 21, 2014, Ben Sahar signed a one-year deal with Willem II in the Netherlands. He scored 7 goals that season, but the club decided not to extend his contract.
Joining Hapoel Be'er Sheva
On July 8, 2015, Ben signed a three-year deal with Hapoel Be'er Sheva in Israel. He scored nine goals in the 2015–16 season, helping his team win their first league championship in 40 years.
Playing for Maccabi Haifa
Ben Sahar showed his skills as a striker at Maccabi Haifa. He helped them win the 2021 Israel Super Cup and the Toto Cup.
Time at Maccabi Petah Tikva
On July 1, 2023, Ben joined Maccabi Petah Tikva. On May 30, 2024, he won his first title with this club, the Israel State Cup. They beat Hapoel Be'er Sheva 1–0 in the final.
Return to Hapoel Tel Aviv
On August 18, 2024, Ben returned to Hapoel Tel Aviv. The team had been relegated to Liga Leumit, which is a lower league.
International Career
On October 7, 2006, Ben Sahar played his first game for the Israel U-21s. He scored a goal against France, helping Israel qualify for the UEFA U-21 Championship 2007.
On February 7, 2007, when he was just 17 and a half years old, Ben became the youngest player to ever play for the Israel national football team. This was in a friendly match against Ukraine. He also became Chelsea's youngest player to play for his country. He played his second game against England.
Ben became the youngest player to score for the Israel national team in his third game. On March 28, 2007, he scored two goals against Estonia in Israel's 4–0 win. This was also the youngest international goal scored by a Chelsea player. He scored more international goals in 2008 and 2009 during World Cup qualifiers.
Career Statistics
International Goals
Scores and results list Israel's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Sahar goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 March 2007 | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan, Israel |  Estonia |
3–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualification |
| 2 | 4–0 | |||||
| 3 | 6 September 2008 | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan, Israel |  Switzerland |
2–2 | 2–2 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 9 September 2009 | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan, Israel |  Luxembourg |
6–0 | 7–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5 | 7–0 | |||||
| 6 | 29 February 2012 | HaMoshava Stadium, Petah Tikva, Israel |  Ukraine |
2–3 | 2–3 | Friendly |
| 7 | 6 June 2017 | Netanya Stadium, Netanya, Israel |  Moldova |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 8 | 15 November 2018 | Netanya Stadium, Netanya, Israel |  Guatemala |
7–0 | 7–0 | Friendly |
Honours and Trophies
Ben Sahar has won many titles with different clubs:
Hapoel Tel Aviv
- Israel State Cup: 2010–11
Hertha BSC
- 2. Bundesliga: 2012–13
Hapoel Beer Sheva
- Israeli Premier League: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
- Israel State Cup: 2019–20
- Toto Cup: 2016–17
- Israel Super Cup: 2016
Maccabi Haifa
- Israeli Premier League: 2021–22, 2022–23
- Toto Cup: 2021–22
- Israel Super Cup: 2021
Maccabi Petah Tikva
- Israel State Cup: 2023–24
See also
- List of select Jewish football (association; soccer) players
