Notable Foreign Footballers Who Played in Israel's Top League

Israeli football's top league has a history of attracting well-known foreign players, often in the later stages of their careers. The latest high-profile arrival is James Tavernier, the 34-year-old captain of Rangers, who has signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv. Tavernier, a right-back, boasts an impressive record of 153 goals and 161 assists in his career and is recognized as one of Britain's top free-kick specialists.

Throughout the years, the league has seen several other notable international signings. These include Uruguayan striker Sebastián Abreu, who joined Beitar Jerusalem in 2008 after a prolific career with his national team, though he departed before playing a league match. Bosnian forward Elvir Bolić, who scored nine goals for Barcelona, finished his career with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the 2000-2001 season.

Cameroonian midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba, formerly of Manchester United and Aston Villa, played for Hapoel Tel Aviv in 2012-2013. French attacking midfielder Jérôme Rothen, who had over 150 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain, joined Beitar Jerusalem in 2006. Chilean talent Sebastián Rozental, once a highly-rated prospect who played for Rangers, had stints with Maccabi Petah Tikva and Maccabi Netanya in 2007-2008 after a career-ending knee injury.

Other significant foreign players include Spanish winger Isaac Cuenca, who was part of Pep Guardiola's Barcelona and played for Hapoel Be'er Sheva in 2017-2018. José Rodríguez, a product of Real Madrid's youth academy who played for Maccabi Tel Aviv, Maccabi Haifa, and Hapoel Tel Aviv, also holds a Real Madrid Champions League appearance record. Soviet goalkeeper Viktor Chanov, a Dynamo Kyiv and USSR national team veteran, played for Maccabi Haifa from 1990 to 1993. Russian star Andrey Tikhonov, a multiple-time Russian champion with Spartak Moscow, played for Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2000-2001.

Welsh striker Robert Earnshaw, known for scoring hat-tricks across multiple English leagues and for his national team, joined Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2012. Finally, Yugoslavian midfielder Zlatko Čajkovski, a former Partizan Belgrade and 1. FC Köln player with extensive international experience including World Cups and Olympic medals, played for Hapoel Haifa from 1958 to 1960.