[Link] Omer Damar (Maccabi Petakh Tikva)

Post of the month.

 

Every team needs a player like Celtic star Beram Kayal to be successful, says Israel boss Luis Fernandez


FRENCH legend Luis Fernandez should know a top-quality midfielder when he sees one. After all, he was an integral part of France's famous "magic square" alongside Jean Tigana, Alain Giresse and Michel Platini when Les Bleus were crowned European champions in 1984.
As a coach, he is the man credited with bringing a certain Brazilian winger called Ronaldinho to this continent, when he signed him for Paris St Germain in 2001.
Now Fernandez is the Israeli national boss and another talent has caught his eye. And he is operating in the SPL.
Beram Kayal is his name and Fernandez is so impressed he is building the national team around the 23-year-old rising star.
The Israeli boss is also delighted to learn that another two of his internationalists are on the wishlist of Rangers and Celtic and he is hoping strikers Tomer Hemed and Omer Damari continue their development by securing moves to Glasgow.
But as Fernandez attempts to guide Israel to their first ever Euro finals next year he admits former Maccabi Haifa ace Kayal is the key to his ambitions.
He said: "Beram has been with Celtic for one year and he has excelled in Scotland.
"He has had a very strong and impressive 12 months and has matured into a top-class player. He is fulfilling his potential.
"He is a midfield organiser, he can win the ball, he can pass and he can drive forward.
"We have seen for the national side that he can also score goals. Every team needs such a player at its heart to be successful."
Kayal's superb form for club and country has seen him linked with a big-money move to the Premiership with the likes of Sunderland and Bolton poised to pounce.
Worryingly for Hoops fans, Kayal has appointed one of football's super agents - Pini Zahavi - to act on his behalf.
This would indicate he's interested in securing a move to England.
But Kayal's national boss has urged him not to leave Celtic and to continue his development in the SPL for another couple of seasons.
The former PSG midfielder said: "You have to take a step back sometimes and think about the long-term picture.
"Yes, he has had one great year with Celtic and yes, in the future, he may well play in England. But he has only had one year in Scotland and he has to stay for more than that.
"He's already at a huge club who play in a fantastic stadium in front of a lot of people every week.
"He is still very young and his time will come in England if that is what he wants but he needs to grow and progress as a player first.
"It's often better to enjoy what you have got already than to start looking elsewhere. I would tell him Celtic is his club and it should stay his club until the time is right."
Fernandez may soon have to make Scotland a regular stop-off on his scouting trips as he tries to keep tabs on his leading players.
The success of Kayal's first season in the SPL has alerted both Old Firm clubs to the talent available in Israel.
The Hoops midfielder has shown that Israeli players offer terrific value for money. After paying just £1.5million for Kayal, Celtic boss Neil Lennon now has his eye on Maccabi Petah Tikva striker Damari, as our back page story revealed yesterday.
The 22-year-old recently hit a double on his international debut and Fernandez admits he would be delighted to see the player make a summer switch to Glasgow.
He said: "Omer is a raw talent. He has, like Beram, potential to become a top player but isn't the finished article yet. He is learning every day and it's good he has already made the international breakthrough.
"If he continues to progress and score the goals he is capable of then he will have a great career.
"I would be delighted for him if he gets the same opportunity as Beram to play for Celtic.
"They would be the right club for him but people can't expect instant rewards from him.
"He is young and moving to Celtic isn't as simple as just changing the colour of his strip.



"If he goes to Celtic he is going to a new country, a new culture and he will need time to adapt to that and to learn the language before he will show his real ability."
New Rangers gaffer Ally McCoist is also scouring the Israeli market and has made a move for 24-year-old hitman Hemed.
And Fernandez believes the Maccabi Haifa ace has all the attributes to be an instant hit in Govan.
He said: "Tomer's a very good player, very gifted. He also plays with a lot of confidence and would score goals in the SPL.
"He is tall, strong and would be a very good signing for Rangers.
"Tomer has rapid pace and has the capacity to do very well in the game.
"He played really well for Maccabi last season and that's why I've called him up to the Israeli team.
"Going to Rangers would be a great move for him and I hope he makes it."


http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2011/0...ys-israel-boss-luis-fernandez-86908-23209325/

 

The Israel boss seems to really respect Celtic.
Hopefully he can be a factor in Damari wanting to come to Celtic and Kayal wanting to stay.

 

I think Fernandez realises that there is an expectation when you play for celtic, a certain pressure that isn't applied to those who play in Israel, and the kind of pressure players are under at celtic would only make the player stronger and thats good for the national team and his own interests.

Mentally stronger players make better national team players.

 

lol

 

hes gunna be a cult legend haha!

 

A few other forums saying it's to be confirmed asap..

 

Best waiting until it is made official mate.

 

only saw him on youtube, good finisher, looks fast aswell.

 

Latest reports in Israel say their Chairman said whoever pays €3million will get him and not the team he wants to go to, saying we bid €2.4million.

 

NEIL LENNON has put Omer Damari at the top of his Celtic shopping list after conceding defeat in the race to sign Shane Long.
And the Maccabi Petah Tikva striker's agent is set to fly to Glasgow this week to talk over a £2.5million move.
Duda Dahan said: "Omer wants to come to Glasgow and hopefully the negotiations will not be difficult. There are other clubs interested in him but I am only interested in taking him to Glasgow. It is difficult for his club as he is the best young player they've produced so the fee would be around £2.5m."
Hoops boss Lennon jetted back into Glasgow last night after his summer holiday determined to snap up Israeli ace Damari.
And he is not put off by the price tag for the 22-year-old international.
Lennon sees Damari, who scored 15 goals in 30 games last season, as a player who can improve and who represents better value than those available down south.
Initial plans to land top targets Craig Bellamy and Shay Given were put on ice after Manchester City insisted they want to sell the pair.
Reading striker Long now has a £7m price tag after an outstanding season for the Royals.
Newcastle, Everton, Wolves and Fulham are all willing to offer him the Premier League football he missed out on after losing the play-off final.
Former Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd remains a free agent despite being strongly linked with a Bosman move to Everton. While Celtic have asked to be kept in the loop by his representative, they know that his wage demands are likely to be considerable.
Damari will now head the list of names when Lennon sits down with chief executive Peter Lawwell this week.

 

Good. Long is horrendously overrated.

 

TBF id rather get an unkown striker who looks promising than someone from down south that we know is kind of average

 

Sounds good! id rather £2.4 million for Damari few years younger and been hyped up alot from several people! p.s £7million for Long surely a wind up man no way has he established himself as that price tag yet, a good season in the premier league by all means but championship

 

He could come an be a goal machine.

 

Im not blown away by this guy from what ive seen but he looks good.

Honest opionion from the israeli guys who have seem him, are you excited by him coming here, do you think hel score goals here?

Thanks

 

Yet I'm sure you would want at least that for Hooper, Izzy or Kayal if they were sold.

 

They all have considerably more than a year left on their contracts. They are also better players.

 

It's debatable whether thay are all better players. Regardless, the argument that Long is not worth 7 million because he has only had one good season in the championship is incorrect. The 3 players I mentioned have had equally good seasons in a far weaker league but I'd imagine the majority of us would want at least 7 million for them before considering selling.