Tal Ben Haim

For the 1989 born footballer, see Tal Ben Haim (footballer born 1989).

Tal Ben Haim
טל בן-חיים

Ben Haim at West Ham, August 2010
Personal information
Full name	Tal Ben Haim
Date of birth	31 March 1982 (1982-03-31)
Place of birth	Rishon LeZion, Israel
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position	Centre Back, Right Back
Club information
Current club	Portsmouth
Number	26
Youth career
1988–2001	Maccabi Tel Aviv
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2001–2004	Maccabi Tel Aviv	85	(2)
2004–2007	Bolton Wanderers	88	(1)
2007–2008	Chelsea	13	(0)
2008–2009	Manchester City	9	(0)
2009	→ Sunderland (loan)	5	(0)
2009–	Portsmouth	43	(0)
2010–2011	→ West Ham United (loan)	8	(0)
National team‡
2001–2002	Israel U21	6	(0)
2002–	Israel	62	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 28 January 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 10 August 2011

Tal Ben Haim (Hebrew: טל בן-חיים‎; born 31 March 1982 in Rishon LeZion) is an Israeli professional footballer who currently plays for Portsmouth.

He can play at either centre back or right back. He is also a member of the Israeli national squad. He made his debut for Israel on 13 February 2002 in a friendly match against Germany.

Club career

Maccabi Tel Aviv

Ben-Haim joined the Maccabi Tel Aviv senior squads in 1998 as a reserve player and it stayed that way, breaking into the first team some time later. His league debut came on 30 April 2001 when he came on in the 90th minute as a substitute in the Tel Aviv derby match. He played a significant part in Maccabi's Israeli Premier League title in the 2002–03 season, and was appointed club captain the following season, replacing Gadi Brumer who retired in mid-season.

Bolton Wanderers

Tal Ben-Haim at Bolton Wanderers F.C., November 2005

After a two week trial with Bolton Wanderers in the summer of 2004, Sam Allardyce secured the services of Ben-Haim on a three-year deal for a fee believed to be in the region of £150,000. Although Allardyce did not believe Ben-Haim would be ready for the rigours of the Premier League immediately, he was confident that, given time, Ben-Haim would have as big an impact on the English game as illustrious fellow countryman Eyal Berkovic.

His first season at the Reebok Stadium was a successful one as he made 27 appearances. On 1 February 2005, Ben Haim scored his first and only goal for Bolton, heading a free-kick from Stelios Giannakopoulos into the net in Bolton's 3–1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. This is his only goal in the Premier League to date. The only thing that hampered his campaign a little was a clash with Wayne Rooney in a league match when Rooney appeared to shove him in the face. Ben-Haim, it was claimed, went down too easily and made too much of it and was charged with improper conduct by the Football Association, but was later cleared of charges.

On 20 October while playing for Bolton in the UEFA Cup away at Beşiktaş, Ben-Haim wore the captain's armband and was praised by the regular team captain Jay-Jay Okocha.

Ben-Haim's defensive displays in his following seasons at Bolton had attracted the interests of many clubs including Chelsea, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur. In January 2007, Chelsea confirmed that talks to sign Ben-Haim from Bolton were unsuccessful.

Following the end of the 2006–07 season, Ben-Haim's contract with Bolton had expired and his future at Bolton was in doubt with media reports linking him with a move to Chelsea and Newcastle United, ex-Bolton boss Sam Allardyce admitting that he was ready to make an offer to his former charge to bring him to Newcastle.

His transfer from Maccabi to Bolton in July 2004 is one of those about which the Stevens inquiry report in June 2007 expressed concerns because of the apparent conflict of interest between agent Craig Allardyce, his father Sam Allardyce – the then manager at Bolton – and the club itself.

Chelsea

On June 2007, Chelsea officially announced the signing of Ben-Haim on a Bosman transfer after he had passed his medical at Stamford Bridge and agreed on personal terms to join the club on a four-year deal. Ben-Haim told the Jewish Telegraph exclusively: "I am very happy to join one of the greatest clubs in the world. I needed a new challenge. I will play in any position Jose Mourinho wants me to play. I am looking forward to starting the new season with Champions League football." He made his competitive début for Chelsea against Manchester United in the FA Community Shield. With injuries to fellow Chelsea defenders John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho Ben Haim remained a regular in the Chelsea first team. However, after the recovery of first team pairing Terry and Carvalho and the impressive form of Alex, Ben Haim found himself to be the fourth choice centre back.

In April 2008, he hit out at former Chelsea manager Avram Grant after Chelsea's 1–1 draw with Wigan Athletic stating: "If I knew Avram Grant was going to be the coach I would have signed for another club. It was Jose who brought me here and no one except he and I know the conversation we had when he tried to sign me the first time a year ago last January. The fact is while Jose was the coach I played most of the games and people who know me know that I would not have come here to be a reserve. I knew nothing good would come for me with Grant as Chelsea coach." In a press conference, Avram Grant responded: "I don’t think José promised Ben Haim he will play before John Terry, Carvalho and Alex, It is internal business but, in my opinion, if a player was wrong we need to deal with it — in our way, my way." Tal Ben Haim was fined two weeks wages, about £80,000.

During Ben Haim's stay at Chelsea, he made 13 Premier League appearances, before transferring to Manchester City.

Manchester City

Ben Haim at Manchester City

Ben Haim joined City on 30 July 2008 for a fee around £5m, becoming only the second first-team signing of new manager Mark Hughes.

He chose to wear the number 26 jersey, vacated by the transfer of Matthew Mills because, apart from his time at Chelsea where it was worn by John Terry, he had always worn that number at club level. After signing, Ben Haim said "I’m definitely going to give my best to City and give my heart in every game. I hope that we can do good things this season. I’m looking forward to starting the season here." Ben Haim made his City debut in second leg of the UEFA Cup qualifier against EB/Streymur at Barnsley's Oakwell Stadium on 31 July where City won 2–0. He failed to establish himself as a first team regular, which saw him left on the substitutes bench for a long period of the season. After returning to the club, following a loan spell at Sunderland, it was clear that he was surplus to requirements at Eastlands. He was then transfer listed.

Sunderland (loan)

Ben Haim signed for Sunderland on loan until the end of the 2008–09 season on 1 February 2009. He made his debut away to Arsenal on 21 February and made his home debut at the Stadium of Light on 7 March against Tottenham Hotspur. He again found it difficult to break into the side. Ben-Haim was limited to only 5 appearances in a Sunderland shirt. At the end of the 2008–09 season, he returned to Manchester City.

Portsmouth

On 31 August 2009 it was announced that Portsmouth had signed Ben-Haim on a four-year deal. He was one of the two first choice centre-backs under managers Paul Hart and his former manager at Chelsea, Avram Grant. he suffered an injury in the second half of the season, which kept him out of Portsmouth's FA Cup final game against Chelsea, which Pompey lost 1–0. In May 2010, after Portsmouth had been relegated, Ben Haim left the club as there was a relegation-release clause in his contract. He played for just one season for Portsmouth and made 24 appearances for the club in all competitions.

West Ham United (loan)

In July 2010 Ben Haim was set to join his ex-Portsmouth manager, Avram Grant at West Ham United on a free transfer, but it was reported that the move had collapsed after Ben Haim had failed a medical. On 2 August the Israeli press reported that Ben Haim had agreed terms with West Ham on a three-year deal after passing a medical with Ben Haim considering legal action against the reporter who had published reports about his failed medical. He joined West Ham on 3 August 2010 on loan until January 2011 with a view to a permanent deal. On 24 August 2010 Ben Haim played his first game for West Ham, against Oxford United in the League Cup, in a 1–0 victory.

Return to Portsmouth

In January 2011, Ben Haim returned to Portsmouth after his loan spell expired, but he had still not been added back to the squad when the transfer window closed and did not make any appearances for Portsmouth that season. He was in dispute with Portsmouth over £1.4million in unpaid wages. Because of this, manager Steve Cotterill was unable to select Ben Haim for the final fixtures of to 2010/11 season. The case was set to go to a Football League hearing in July 2011, but, with new owners installed at the club, Pompey were able reach an acceptable agreement with Ben Haim.

On 11 July, Ben Haim made his first appearance for Pompey since the 2009-10 season in a 4-0 pre-season win over Havant & Waterlooville.

Honours

• Israeli Premier League Winner (1):
  • 2002–03

• Community Shield Runner-up:
  • 2007

• Premier League Runner-up:
  • 2007–08

• League Cup Runner-up:
  • 2007–08

• UEFA Champions League Runner-up:
  • 2007–08

• Vodacom Challenge Runner-up:
  • 2009

• FA Cup Runner-up:
  • 2010

Statistics

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Israel			League		Israel State Cup		Toto Cup		Europe		Total
2000–2001	Maccabi Tel Aviv	Israeli Premier League	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
2001–2002			29	1	5	0	3	0	4	0	41	1
2002–2003			30	0	4	0	10	0	4	0	48	0
2003–2004			26	1	3	0	6	0	2	0	37	1
Total	Israel		86	2	12	0	19	0	10	0	127	2
England			League		FA Cup		League Cup		Europe		Total
2004–2005	Bolton Wanderers	Premier League	21	1	4	0	2	0	0	0	27	1
2004–2005			35	0	4	0	3	0	7	0	49	0
2006–2007			32	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	34	0
2007–2008	Chelsea		13	0	2	0	3	0	2	0	20	0
2008	Manchester City		9	0	0	0	1	0	5	0	15	0
2009	Sunderland		5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	0
2009–10	Portsmouth		22	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	24	0
2010–11	West Ham United		8	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	12	0
2011–12	Portsmouth	Championship	13	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	13	0
Total	England		150	1	12	0	15	0	14	0	189	1
Career total			234	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

As at 06:48, 8 January 2011

See also

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

External links

• Tal Ben-Haim career stats at Soccerbase
• Ben-Haim's homepage
• Uri Geller online regarding Tal Ben-Haim