Premier League News: Liverpool Transfer Yossi Benayoun eager to impress at Chelsea
Premier League Champions Chelsea’s latest signing, Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun, is looking forward to the challenge of defending the Premier league title with his new club, and said that it was a dream move for him.
Benayoun knows the squad for the Blues is full of big names, and he will not be assured of a place in the starting line-up in every match. The former Liverpool player said that he is willing to work hard and earn his place in the side.
The winger spent 3 years with Liverpool but was not able to win any silverware; he was signed by Chelsea for 5.5 million pounds in July 2010.
Benayoun has not been able to practice freely during the off season; he has been bothered by a groin injury, but he said that he is fit now and ready for the season to start. He said that a team like Chelsea has a winning mentality and he is looking forward to linking up with the team. Yossi added that the free flowing style of football coach Carlo Ancelotti has implemented suits his style of play, and he should not have any problems blending into the team.
Benayoun said there are some big names in the team, and he would learn a lot from them. He said that he would do all he can to make sure that he helps the club’s cause in every way possible. The former West Ham United player said that he has been in the English game long enough to know that the pace of the game rarely changes, and one has to be on their toes at all times to keep up with it.
He went on to say that when he decided to leave Liverpool, there were number of teams looking to sign him, but when Chelsea approached him, there was no doubt in his mind that Chelsea was the club for him.
Interestingly, Benayoun played his last match for Liverpool against Chelsea on May 2nd; Chelsea beat Liverpool 2-0 in the match.
Benayoun said that he knew that the final match at Anfield against Chelsea was going to be his last for the Reds. He added that he has learnt a lot at Liverpool, and praised his former manager Rafael Benitez. He said that Rafa is a man with a very calm but clever mind, and added that the Spaniard used to analyse the situation very quickly. Benayoun said that his methods may not have been appreciated by everyone, but he remains one of his favourite managers.
Benayoun said that he has been playing in the Premier League for 5 years, and throughout his time whenever he came across Chelsea, he always found them stubborn and determined opponents. He said he had always admired the quick physical approach undertaken by the Blues, and loves the fact that they have always been title contenders. He added that ever since he came to England he has had the aspiration of winning the league, and with Chelsea he has a great chance of finally fulfilling his dream.
The Israeli midfielder has had a good track record in European football. At the age of 15, he was snapped up by the Dutch club Ajax. After 2 years, he joined Hapoel Be’er Sheva and later moved to Maccabi Haifa in 1998. He scored 55 goals in 130 games for the Israeli club, and finally made his move to English Football by joining West Ham United in 2005 for 2.5 million pounds. Benayoun is an excellent playmaker, but is not short by any means on the goal scoring front. If Ancelotti makes good use of him, he can turn out to be one of the most potent players for the Blues this season.
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