Hatem Abd Elhamed (or Elhamid, Arabic: حاتم عبد الحميد, Hebrew: חאתם עבד אלחמד; born 18 March 1991) is an Israeli professional footballer who plays as a defender for Ironi Tiberias and the Israel national team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 18 March 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Kafr Manda, Israel | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Ironi Tiberias | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2007–2009 | Bnei Sakhnin | ||
| 2009–2010 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2011 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 0 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | → Charleroi | 1 | (0) |
| 2011–2015 | Ashdod | 79 | (1) |
| 2015 | → Dinamo București | 13 | (3) |
| 2015–2017 | Gent | 1 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | → Ashdod | 27 | (0) |
| 2017–2019 | Hapoel Be'er Sheva | 50 | (4) |
| 2019–2021 | Celtic | 13 | (0) |
| 2021–2023 | Hapoel Be'er Sheva | 42 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | → Hapoel Haifa | 22 | (1) |
| 2023–2024 | Hapoel Haifa | 12 | (2) |
| 2024– | Ironi Tiberias | 7 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2009 | Israel U18 | 2 | (0) |
| 2009 | Israel U19 | 8 | (1) |
| 2017– | Israel | 16 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 7 November 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 November 2021 | |||
Early life
editElhamed was born in Kafr Manda, Israel, to a Muslim-Arab family.[1][2][3] His younger brother Muhammad died in a car accident in 2008.[4]
Club career
editEarly career
editAbd Hamed started playing football at the age of 16 in the youth teams of Bnei Sakhnin. He did this for two years, and he was transferred to Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2009. He played one season in the youth series. In the 2010/11 season, he signed a professional contract in his team Maccabi Tel Aviv FC. Abd Elhamed made his professional debut on 8 August 2010 in a Toto Cup match against his boyhood club, Bnei Sakhnin.[5]
On 1 February 2011, Abd Elhamid was loaned to Charleroi in Belgium.[6] A month later, he made his league debut for Charleroi, coming on as a substitute for Ederson in the 73rd minute against Standard Liège on 12 March 2011.[7] Charleroi had stipulated a purchase option, but did not purchase the player.
Ashdod
editThe next season, he was transferred to F.C. Ashdod, a team in the First Division. In his first season, he started 8 times in the basic team, and he was 15 times a substitute. In the following 2012–13 season, he became a regular player in the team. He was 20 times in the starting team and two times a substitute. On 6 January 2013, he scored his first professional goal at the age of 21. This game against Maccabi Haifa ended in a 4–1 defeat. In his third season (2013/14), he was 17 times in the starting team and four times a substitute.
In summer 2014, he started his fourth season at Ashdod. The first sixteen matches of the competition, he was 12 times on the field, of which 7 times in the basic team. Nevertheless, it was decided to send him on loan to the Romenian team Dinamo Bucharest.
His period on loan at the Romanian top team was his second passage outside Israel. He was directly selected for the first team in 13 of the last 17 matches, almost every time as a starting player. On 24 April, he scored his first goal in the team, in a 1–1 draw against Cluj. In May, the last month of the season, he made scored more goals and gave two assists. However, Dinamo Bucharest was not willing to pay the transfer sum of €100,000, so Elhamed returned to Israel. In June 2015, he started a trial at Club Brugge.
In July 2015, he signed until mid-2019 at Belgian side K.A.A. Gent.[8] On 15 July 2016 loaned back to F.C. Ashdod.[9]
Hapoel Be'er Sheva
editIn August 2017, he signed a five-year contract at Hapoel Be'er Sheva.
Celtic
editOn 24 July 2019, Scottish champions Celtic announced the signing of Abd Elhamed from Hapoel Be’er Sheva on a four-year contract.[10] Celtic manager Neil Lennon said in February 2021 that Abd Elhamed had been suffering from homesickness, as his family was still living in Israel and he was unable to visit them due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11]
Return to Be'er Sheva
editAbd Elhamed returned to Hapoel Be'er Sheva in February 2021.[11]
International career
editIn 2009, Abd Elhamed was selected to represent Israel at the 2009 Maccabiah Games.[12]
He made his Israel national football team debut on 10 June 2019 in a Euro 2020 qualifier against Poland, as an 82nd-minute substitute for Nir Bitton.[13]
In October 2020, Abd Elhamed tested positive for COVID-19 while away on international duty.[14]
Career statistics
edit- As of match played 1 June 2024
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Maccabi Tel Aviv | 2010–11 | Liga Ha'Al | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Charleroi (loan) | 2010–11 | Pro League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ashdod | 2011–12 | Ligat Ha'Al | 23 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| 2012–13 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 1 | ||
| 2013–14 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | ||
| Ashdod Total | 79 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 90 | 1 | ||
| Dinamo București (loan) | 2014–15 | Liga I | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 3 |
| Gent | 2015–16 | Pro League | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Ashdod (loan) | 2016–17 | Ligat HaAl | 27 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| Hapoel Be'er Sheva | 2017–18 | Ligat HaAl | 23 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 39 | 2 |
| 2018–19 | 26 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 3 | ||
| Hapoet Be'er Sheva Total | 49 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 66 | 5 | ||
| Celtic | 2019–20 | Scottish Premiership | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| 2020–21 | Scottish Premiership | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| Celtic Total | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 30 | 0 | ||
| Hapoel Be'er Sheva | 2020–21 | Ligat HaAl | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 2021–22 | 30 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Hapoet Be'er Sheva Total | 44 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 57 | 0 | ||
| Hapoel Haifa | 2022–23 | Ligat HaAl | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 |
| 2023–24 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 | ||
| Hapoel Haifa Total | 34 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 3 | ||
| Ironi Tiberias | 2024–25 | Ligat HaAl | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ironi Tiberias Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Career Total | 253 | 8 | 20 | 0 | 27 | 1 | 25 | 0 | 325 | 7 | ||
Honours
edit- Hapoel Be'er Sheva
- Celtic
- Premiership (1): 2019–20
References
edit- ^ Reporter, Jewish News (22 July 2019). "Celtic closing in on signing of Arab-Israeli player Hatem Abd Elhamed". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com.
- ^ "Israeli-Arab star Hatem Abd Elhamed says it's an 'honour' to sign for Celtic". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com. 24 July 2019.
- ^ @Raphael_Gellar (8 July 2015). "Gent are showing what is so great about Israel. Jewish, Druze &now Muslim footballer. Hatem Abd Elhamed signs w/Gent" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Hatem Abd Elhamed: My late brother is with me when I play". 25 July 2019 – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
- ^ "גביע הטוטו ליגת WINNER בית ב'" [Toto Cup Winner League] (in Hebrew). Israel Football Association. Archived from the original on 2 August 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
- ^ Temur, Lior (1 February 2011). אוהדי מכבי ת"א עשויים לפקח על מכירת הכרטיסים [Maccabi T.A. Fans To Look After Ticket Sales] (in Hebrew). One.co.il. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
- ^ Goren, Boaz (12 March 2011). יום רע לישראלים בבלגיה, טוב למליקסון בפולין [A Bad Day For Israelis In Belgium, Good For Melikson In Poland] (in Hebrew). One.co.il. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
- ^ "Hatem Abd Elhamed komt Gentse defensie versterken". Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
- ^ "אלחמיד הושאל לאשדוד, שהפסידה במשחק אימון". אלחמיד הושאל לאשדוד, שהפסידה במשחק אימון. 15 July 2016.
- ^ "Hatem Abd Elhamed signs and is ready to give everything to Celtic". Celtic F.C. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- ^ a b "Celtic: Hatem Abd Elhamed completes return to Hapoel Be'er Sheva". BBC Sport. 10 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ "סגלי נבחרות ישראל לטורניר הכדורגל של המכביה". Israel Football Association. 9 July 2009. Archived from the original on 29 June 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
- ^ "Poland v Israel game report". UEFA. 10 June 2019.
- ^ "Celtic's Elhamed tests positive for Covid-19". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
External links
edit- Hatem Abd Elhamed at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
- Hatem Abd Elhamed at Soccerway
- Hatem Abd Elhamed at National-Football-Teams.com
- Hatem Abd Elhamed – Israel Football Association league player details
- עבד אלחמיד חאתם (in Hebrew). Israel Football Association. Archived from the original on 18 December 2007. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
