Omer Golan

Omer Golan
עומר גולן

Personal information
Date of birth	October 4, 1982 (1982-10-04) (age 29)
Place of birth	Holon, Israel
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Maccabi Petah Tikva
Number	15
Youth career
	Maccabi Petah Tikva
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2000-2007	Maccabi Petah Tikva	161	(49)
2008-2010	K.S.C. Lokeren	60	(13)
2010-	Maccabi Petah Tikva	24	(9)
National team‡
2002-2003	Israel U21	5	(2)
2004-	Israel	37	(8)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17 July 2009. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18 June 2010

Omer Golan (Hebrew: עומר גולן‎; born 4 October 1982) is an Israeli footballer. He plays as a striker for his home club Maccabi Petah Tikva and for the Israeli national football team.

Club career

Maccabi Petah Tikva

Golan played in the youth ranks of Maccabi Petah Tikva, before being transferred to the first team in 2000. In the 2003–04 Israeli Premier League, Golan was the third equal highest goalscorer, netting 13 times. In the 2005–06 Israeli Premier League, Golan was the fifth equal highest goalscorer, with 11 strikes.

Golan was a member of the winning Toto Cup side of 2003-04, who were victorious against Maccabi Haifa 3-0 in the final. Golan scored goals in the semi-finals and the final of the tournament. He scored the final goal of the semi-final that finished in a 3-1 win against Maccabi Netanya, and the last goal of the final against Maccabi Haifa.

Golan also scored a hat-trick in the 2005–06 UEFA Cup first round qualifying against Macedonian side FK Bashkimi in an 11-0 aggregate victory for the Israeli side. Golan scored a second hat-trick in the next phase of qualification, the first round, against Serbian side FK Partizan to ensure a 5-4 aggregate progression to the group stages of the tournament. However, Maccabi was outlcassed in the group stages, that included RCD Espanyol, U.S. Città di Palermo, FC Lokomotiv Moscow and Brøndby IF. Losing all of its matches, the Israeli club only managed one goal in four matches. This goal was scored by Golan in a 2-1 loss to Palermo.

In 161 appearances for the club, Golan scored 49 times.

Lokeren

In December 2007, Omer Golan got his transfer to Europe when the Belgian club K.S.C. Lokeren paid an estimated $1 million to his former club, Maccabi Petah Tikva. One of his demands in the contract is that he could leave the club if a bigger club offers him a contract. Several Belgian top clubs such as Anderlecht and Standard as well as some English clubs, were reportedly wanting to sign him, but he finally signed in Lokeren, most likely due to the significantly higher wages which were offered to him.

In Golan's first season at Lokeren, the 2007–08 Belgian First Division season, he scored 5 goals in 15 appearances.

After the game Romania–Israel, which took place in Timişoara, Omer Golan declared he will sign the Romanian team FC Timişoara in the summer when his contract will enter in the last 6 months.^[1] Nevertheless the transfer has never taken place.

Maccabi Petah Tikva

After an unsuccessful spell at Lokeren, Golan returned to Maccabi Petah Tikva.

International career

Golan made his international debut for the Israel national football team when he came on as a 74th minute substitute for Eyal Berkovich in a friendly against the Moldova national football team on 28 April 2004. His first international goal came on 9 February 2004 against the Croatia national football team, when he scored the final goal to tie the game at 3-3.

On 17 November 2007, Omer Golan scored the winning goal for Israel against Russia, handing England a lifeline in their qualification group for Euro 2008, meaning England could still qualify; if Russia had won, qualification for England would be near impossible. Golan was, for a short period, proclaimed a hero by English football fans;^[2] but England lost the match to Croatia meaning they did not qualify for Euro 2008. According to Golan, before he scored against Russia, many thought that he was on the national team because of his strong friendship with Avi Luzon, then IFA chief and former owner of Maccabi Petah Tikva.^[3]

Honours

• Toto Cup Winner (1):
  • 2003-04

References

1. ^ Omer Golan declares he will sign FC Timisoara when he ends his contract with Lokeren
2. ^ "England gifted lifeline by Israel". BBC Sport. 17 November 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/7097938.stm. Retrieved 17 November 2007. 
3. ^ Boker, Moshe (2008-10-10). ""אני כבר לא השחקן של לוזון"" (in Hebrew). Walla!. http://sports.walla.co.il/?w=/100/1358667. Retrieved 11 April 2009. 

External links

• National Football Teams

Persondata
Name	Golan, Omer
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	4 October 1982
Place of birth	Holon, Israel
Date of death
Place of death