Eyal Berkovic facts for kids
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Berkovic in 2020
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Eyal Berkovic | ||
| Date of birth | 2 April 1972 | ||
| Place of birth | Regba, Israel | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1982–1988 | Maccabi Haifa | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1989–1996 | Maccabi Haifa | 128 | (25) |
| 1996 | → Southampton (loan) | 28 | (4) |
| 1996–1999 | West Ham United | 65 | (10) |
| 1999–2001 | Celtic | 32 | (9) |
| 2001 | → Blackburn Rovers (loan) | 11 | (2) |
| 2001–2004 | Manchester City | 56 | (7) |
| 2004–2005 | Portsmouth | 22 | (2) |
| 2005–2006 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 25 | (2) |
| Total | 367 | (61) | |
| International career | |||
| 1990 | Israel U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 1991–1993 | Israel U21 | 11 | (1) |
| 1992–2004 | Israel | 78 | (9) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2014–2015 | Hapoel Tel Aviv (general manager) | ||
| 2020–2021 | Hapoel Petah Tikva (general manager) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Eyal Berkovic (born April 2, 1972) is a famous former professional football player from Israel. He was known for being a creative attacking midfielder with amazing passing skills.
Berkovic spent a big part of his career playing in England's Premier League. He played for top clubs like West Ham United and Manchester City. He also played for the Israel national team 78 times. Many people think he is one of the greatest footballers to ever come from Israel.
After he stopped playing, Berkovic became a team manager and a popular TV host.
Contents
Early Life and First Club
Berkovic was born in Regba, a community in Israel. He started his football journey at the youth academy of Maccabi Haifa and joined their main team in 1989.
He was a star player for Maccabi Haifa. He helped the team win two league titles and three State Cups. His great performance in the 1993–94 season earned him the league's Most Valuable Player award.
Playing in England and Scotland
Berkovic's talent took him to Great Britain, where he played for several famous clubs.
Southampton
In 1996, Berkovic moved to England to play for Southampton. He quickly showed his skills. In just his second game, he scored two goals and had three assists in an amazing 6–3 win against Manchester United.
West Ham United
The next year, West Ham United signed him. He became a hero to the fans right away by scoring the winning goal against rivals Tottenham Hotspur in his first home game.
During a training session at West Ham, Berkovic had a serious argument with teammate John Hartson. The incident was caught on camera and was widely reported in the news.
Celtic
In 1999, Berkovic moved to Scotland to play for Celtic. He played for the club for two years and scored ten goals. While playing for Celtic, he sometimes faced insults from fans of opposing teams.
After a new manager took over, Berkovic was loaned to Blackburn Rovers in England. He helped them get promoted to the Premier League.
Manchester City
In 2001, Berkovic joined Manchester City. He was a key player in helping the team win the First Division title and get promoted to the Premier League. The team scored a record 108 goals that season.
The next season, he was a star in a 3–1 victory over their rivals, Manchester United. For his great playing, Berkovic was voted Manchester City's Player of the Season for 2002–03.
Portsmouth
In 2004, Berkovic moved to Portsmouth, where he played for his former West Ham manager, Harry Redknapp. Redknapp called him a "special footballer." Berkovic helped Portsmouth avoid being demoted from the Premier League.
Return to Israel and Retirement
In 2005, Berkovic returned to Israel and signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv. He played one final season before announcing his retirement from professional football on May 7, 2006.
International Career
Berkovic was an important player for his country. He played 78 games for the Israel national team and scored 9 goals.
Life After Football
After retiring as a player, Berkovic stayed involved in football. He worked as a general manager for clubs like Maccabi Netanya and Hapoel Tel Aviv. In 2015, he became the owner of the club Hapoel Rishon LeZion.
Berkovic also became a well-known media personality in Israel. For many years, he co-hosted a popular sports radio show. He also had his own successful TV talk show called Ofira and Berkovic.
U.K. Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Southampton | 1996–97 | Premier League | 28 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | — | 35 | 6 | |
| West Ham United | 1997–98 | Premier League | 35 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | 46 | 9 | |
| 1998–99 | Premier League | 30 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 33 | 3 | ||
| Total | 65 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | — | 79 | 12 | |||
| Celtic | 1999–2000 | Scottish Premier League | 28 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 33 | 10 |
| 2000–01 | Scottish Premier League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 3 | |
| Total | 32 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 42 | 13 | ||
| Blackburn Rovers | 2000–01 | First Division | 11 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 14 | 2 | |
| Manchester City | 2001–02 | First Division | 25 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 31 | 7 | |
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 27 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 29 | 2 | ||
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 56 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 67 | 9 | ||
| Portsmouth | 2003–04 | Premier League | 11 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 15 | 1 | |
| 2004–05 | Premier League | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 13 | 2 | ||
| Total | 22 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 28 | 3 | |||
| England & Scotland total | 214 | 34 | 21 | 3 | 21 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 265 | 45 | ||
Honours
Maccabi Haifa
- Liga Leumit: 1990–91, 1993–94
- Israel State Cup: 1990–91, 1992–93, 1994–95
- Toto Cup: 1993–94
West Ham
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999
Celtic
- Scottish League Cup: 1999–2000
Blackburn Rovers
- Football League First Division runner-up: 2000–01
Manchester City
- Football League First Division: 2001–02
Individual
- Israeli Footballer of the Year: 1994
- PFA Team of the Year: 2001–02 First Division
See also
In Spanish: Eyal Berkovic para niños
- List of Jewish footballers
- List of Jews in sports
