Biography
Who is Ben Sahar?
Early life in Israel
Ben Sahar was born in Holon, Israel, into a family with diverse roots. His father, an electrician of Tunisian Jewish descent, and his mother, a sports teacher of Ashkenazi Polish and Latvian Jewish heritage, raised him in the city of Modi'in. During his youth, he took an interest in athletics and developed his skills in local youth football programs. He eventually gained a Polish passport through his mother, which provided him with the status of a non-foreigner when playing in various European leagues.
As an Israeli citizen, he faced mandatory military service requirements. While legislative efforts were made to allow him to fulfill national service obligations in England, these attempts were unsuccessful. Consequently, he was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces. Throughout his professional career, he was required to report to his military base whenever he visited his home country.
Professional club career
The striker began his formal training with the youth ranks of Hapoel Tel Aviv before catching the attention of international scouts. In 2006, he signed with the English Premier League club Chelsea for a fee of £320,000. He made his debut for the first team in January 2007 against Macclesfield Town during an FA Cup match. Throughout his time at Chelsea, he also made appearances against teams like Wigan Athletic, Manchester United, and Everton, though he largely sought experience through various loan spells.
During his career, he played for a wide range of international clubs. His loan spells included stints at Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield Wednesday, Portsmouth, and De Graafschap. He later moved to the Spanish club Espanyol on a four-year deal, where he scored his first league goal in a victory against Málaga. His career path also took him to France, where he played for AJ Auxerre, and Germany, where he competed for Hertha BSC and Arminia Bielefeld. He eventually returned to Israel to play for Hapoel Tel Aviv and later signed with the Dutch team Willem II.
Personal stats and details
Ben stands 181 centimeters tall. He is a Leo, born on August 10, 1989. Throughout his path in professional sports, he experienced both high-scoring periods, such as his time in the Eredivisie with De Graafschap, and challenging times where he struggled to secure consistent playing time. He often spoke about the pressure of performing at a high level while handling the complexities of international league requirements and military obligations.
Birthday and age
Ben Sahar was born on August 10, 1989, which makes Ben 37 years old today. That birthday falls under the Leo sign. Ben shares the date with 33 other famous people.
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