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Tal Ben Haim
Tal Ben Haim 2015 09 16.jpg
Ben Haim warming-up for Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2015
Personal information
Full name Tal Ben Haim
Date of birth (1982-03-31) 31 March 1982 (age 43)
Place of birth Rishon LeZion, Israel
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position Centre back / Right back
Youth career
1998–2001 Maccabi Tel Aviv
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2004 Maccabi Tel Aviv 85 (2)
2004–2007 Bolton Wanderers 87 (1)
2007–2008 Chelsea 13 (0)
2008–2009 Manchester City 9 (0)
2009 Sunderland (loan) 5 (0)
2009–2012 Portsmouth 55 (0)
2010–2011 West Ham United (loan) 8 (0)
2013 Queens Park Rangers 3 (0)
2013–2014 Standard Liège 10 (0)
2014–2015 Charlton Athletic 37 (0)
2015–2018 Maccabi Tel Aviv 63 (0)
2018–2021 Beitar Jerusalem 58 (0)
Total 433 (3)
National team
2001–2002 Israel U21 6 (0)
2002–2017 Israel 96 (2)
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 25 May 2021.
† Appearances (Goals).

Tal Ben Haim (born 31 March 1982) is a former professional footballer from Israel. He was known for playing as a centre back or right back. Tal Ben Haim played for many famous clubs, including Maccabi Tel Aviv, Bolton Wanderers, Chelsea, and Manchester City. He also played for the Israeli national team.

Early Life and Career Start

Tal Ben Haim was born in Rishon LeZion, Israel. He started his football journey with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 1998 as a young player.

His first game in the league was on 30 April 2001. He helped Maccabi win the Israeli Premier League title in the 2002–03 season. The next season, he became the team captain.

Playing for English Clubs

Tal Ben Haim spent many years playing for different clubs in England.

Bolton Wanderers

Tal BH
Ben Haim playing for Bolton in November 2005

In 2004, Ben Haim joined Bolton Wanderers. He signed a three-year deal. His first season at Bolton was very good. He played 27 games.

On 1 February 2005, he scored his only goal for Bolton. It was a header from a free-kick against Tottenham Hotspur. This was his only goal in the Premier League. He also wore the captain's armband in a UEFA Cup game in 2005.

Chelsea

In June 2007, Ben Haim moved to Chelsea. He joined the club on a free transfer. He was excited to join "one of the greatest clubs in the world."

He played his first game for Chelsea against Manchester United. At first, he played regularly because other defenders were injured. But after they recovered, he became a fourth-choice defender. He played 13 Premier League games for Chelsea before moving to Manchester City.

Manchester City

Tal Ben-Haim
Ben Haim at Manchester City

Ben Haim joined Manchester City on 30 July 2008. He chose to wear the number 26 jersey. He said he would "give his best" to the club.

He made his debut for City in a UEFA Cup game. However, he did not become a regular player for the team.

Sunderland (loan)

In February 2009, Ben Haim went on loan to Sunderland. He played only 5 games for Sunderland. After his loan ended, he returned to Manchester City.

Portsmouth

On 31 August 2009, Ben Haim signed a four-year deal with Portsmouth. He quickly became one of the main centre-backs for the team.

He played 24 games for Portsmouth in his first season. He stayed with the club even after they were relegated.

West Ham United (loan)

In August 2010, Ben Haim joined West Ham United on loan. He played his first game for West Ham in the League Cup. He also played against his former club Chelsea.

TalBenHaim24082010
Ben Haim at West Ham United, August 2010

His loan spell ended in January 2011. He made 8 appearances for West Ham.

Return to Portsmouth

After his loan, Ben Haim returned to Portsmouth. He played his first league game back in August 2011. Portsmouth faced financial difficulties during this time. He left the club in August 2012.

Queens Park Rangers

On 4 January 2013, Ben Haim joined Queens Park Rangers on a short contract. He made his debut the next day in an FA Cup match. He left the club at the end of the 2012–13 season.

Standard Liège

In July 2013, Ben Haim signed a two-year contract with Standard Liège in Belgium. He played ten games for the club.

Charlton Athletic

On 11 July 2014, Ben Haim joined Charlton Athletic. This was his eighth English club. He played in the opening game of the season. He was released from his contract in May 2015.

Return to Maccabi Tel Aviv

On 3 June 2015, Ben Haim signed a two-year contract to return to his first club, Maccabi Tel Aviv. He helped Maccabi reach the Champions League group stage in 2015.

Beitar Jerusalem F.C.

On 7 August 2018, Ben Haim signed a two-year contract with Beitar Jerusalem F.C. He played many games for the club. In August 2020, he extended his contract for another year.

International Career

Ben-Haim I - israel
Ben Haim as the captain of Israel in 2015

Ben Haim played his first game for the Israel national team on 13 February 2002. This was in a friendly match against Germany. He scored his first goal for Israel from a penalty in a game against Latvia in 2011. He played 96 games for his country.

Personal Life

Tal Ben Haim has the same name as another Israeli footballer, Tal Ben Haim, who was born in 1989. To tell them apart, the older Tal Ben Haim is sometimes called Tal Ben Haim I.

Honours

Portsmouth

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Tal Ben Haim para niños

  • List of select Jewish football (association; soccer) players
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