Shivhon, Yossi

Yossef Shivhon

Shivhon is an effective attacking midfielder with an eye for goal. The young playmaker has caught the eye of Israeli national team coach Avraham Grant and added to the squad for the 2006 World Cup qualification campaign. With the best years of Avi Nimni and Eyal Berkovic behind them, Yossi may become a starter in the center of midfield.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. March 22, 1982

Career Highlights:
Yossi was among the stars of the Hapoel Petah Tikva youth team, which won the 2000-01 Israeli youth championship title. That team produced many of the "blues" current starters. In 1999, he helped the Israeli national youth team to the European Championships quarterfinals. The midfielder won 14 caps for the national youth team by the time he reached the age of 21.

While playing for the youth team, Yossi made sporadic appearances for the senior team during the 1999-00 and 2000-01 seasons. In the latter campaign, Shivhon started three matches and came off the bench the same number of times. By the 2001-02 season, the playmaker was a regular backup for Bosnian Ansh Demirovich. He played in 17 league games and made his first assist against Maccabi Haifa in the 28th minute of an away game. Petah Tikva finished sixth that year, and the disappointment led to greater reliance on locally produced players.

Shivhon received a greater opportunity at displaying his skills in the 2002-03 season, and proceeded to win a first team berth. Yossi scored his first league goal halfway through the season, at home vs. Maccabi Haifa and scored four more by the seasons end, as well as passing for 2 assists. The midfielder started 23 games and appeared as a substitute on seven occasions. The young team finished eighth overall in the Israeli Premier League but the fans were pleased with the home grown product on display.

The midfielder often showed sparks of luminosity in the 2003-04 season, but they were interspersed with periods of indifference. He played in 25 league games, scored three goals and made an assist. Petah Tikva finished eighth in the league and were eliminated from the State Cup early on. Despite this unhappy campaign, Shivhon is an indispensable part of Hapoel's 2004-05 team.

Origin:
Petah Tikva, Israel

Career Dates:
Player: 1999-

Position:
Attacking midfielder

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