A grenade was lobbed at the Israel home of a former Premier League footballer on Sunday night.
Former West Ham, Chelsea and Liverpool star Yossi Benayoun, 44, was inside his house with his family in Ramat Hasharon, just north of Tel Aviv, when a motorbike pulled up and hurled the explosive device at the door.
The incident happened at approximately 11pm on Sunday. The attacker then fled the scene.
Benayoun, who is Israeli’s most capped player of all-time at international level, heard the grenade go off but assumed it was a gas cylinder explosion, The Sun reported.
No-one was injured in the blast but the grenade did start a blaze which required a fire crew to bring it under control and caused damage to property.
Local police investigating the explosion are reportedly leaning into the theory that it was a suspected criminal attack and not terrorism related.
A police spokesman said: ‘Police from the Glilot station arrived at the scene and began an investigation. As a result of the explosion, damage was caused. There were no casualties.’
A shaken Benayoun agreed and suggested the grenade was meant for someone else rather than being targeted at him.
Yossi Benayoun started his career in England at West Ham United, where a string of impressive performances earned him a move to clubs like Liverpool and later Chelsea
Yossi Benayoun reacts during Liverpool’s Champions League quarter-final match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in 2009
Benayoun, his country’s most-capped player of all-time, in action for Israel against Croatia in a friendly in 2016
‘This is definitely a mistake – I have no doubt that the grenade was not aimed at my house,’ the former Israeli captain said.
‘At first I thought it was a gas cylinder explosion and we called the fire department. It was only when the police arrived at the house and found the remains of a grenade that we realised what really happened.’
Benayoun, a cultured midfielder, played 102 times for his country, scoring 24 goals.
Spotted at the age of nine, the Israeli star began his career with Hapoel Be’er Sheva FC, where he would have to hitchhike a 60km roundtrip with his father to training.
After three years in Spain he made the move to England in 2005 to join West Ham.
His standout performances for the Hammers earned him moves to Liverpool and later Chelsea and Arsenal, making almost 200 Premier League appearances in total.
