‘My brother died in my arms’
TRAGEDY OF CELTIC TARGET ELHAMED
HATEM ABD Elhamed has told how a family tragedy shaped his career ahead of an imminent move to Celtic.
The Israeli international defender looks set to become Neil Lennon’s fourth summer signing after the Scottish champion agreed a £1.8million deal with Hapoel Be’er Sheva.
Excluded from his side’s squad to face Albanians Laci in the Europa League last night, Abd Elhamed is expected to fly to Scotland over the weekend to complete a medical and finalise personal terms on a four-year deal.
And, in an emotional interview last year, he explained how the horrific death of his brother Muhammad 11 years ago has been a constant motivation for all that’s happened to him since.
‘My brother died in my arms,’ said Abd Elhamed. ‘The death ruined my family and my father never managed to recover.
‘He was only 15 years old and came with me to training one day. On the way home, we stopped at the side of the road and my brother went out to get some food and was hit by a truck. He was thrown in the air and his head hit the pavement.
‘They tried to revive him, but in the end he died with me holding him.
‘Every day I play football, I dedicate it to him.
‘My father wanted nothing in life but to see Muhammad play football. I didn’t start playing football until I was 16 — I didn’t start when I was eight years old, like others.
‘I carry the financial responsibility of the whole family now. I cannot afford not to succeed in football.
‘My brother’s death shaped my character and my success prevented the family from being crushed.’
Abd Elhamed (below) is likely to be a direct replacement for Mikael Lustig on the right side of Lennon’s defence and joins Christopher Jullien, Luca Connell and Boli BolingoliMbombo as the latest part of the summer rebuild.
The 6ft 1in player gained his first cap for his country in last month’s Euro qualifier with Poland, climbing off the bench to replace Nir Bitton.
He started out at Maccabi Tel Aviv and has also played at Ashdod, Dinamo Bucharest, Charleroi and Gent. Abd Elhamed penned a five-year deal when he moved to Be’er Sheva in 2017 but will now depart after just two years at the club.
Insisting he still has room for improvement after a colourful career to date, he said: ‘I left Ashdod in 2015 because I wanted to sign for a good team in Europe. My experiences in Belgium weren’t a big success, but I enjoyed it in Romania.
‘Look, I am a person who believes in himself. I love playing for Hapoel Be’er Sheva because they are the biggest club in Israel.
‘I’ve played in just about every position in defence and midfield. I’ve come to the conclusion I am better as a defender.
‘I believe I am one of the quickest defenders in the country — it gives me a big advantage when I play.
‘But I am willing to do whatever it takes to become a top player and make a good career out of football. I owe that to my family.
‘I’m a guy with a very strong mentality and I do not care what any critics say. I get up every morning and give 1,000 per cent at training and not just 100.’
Former Leicester defender Danny Simpson could join him at Parkhead if he impresses on trial next week.
The 32-year-old right-back was released by Brendan Rodgers at the end of last season but will hope to impress Lennon enough to win a permanent move to Glasgow.
Speaking after his side eased to a 5-2 aggregate win over FK Sarajevo in the first qualifying round of the Champions League last night, Lennon said: ‘I think we’ll have something in the next few days hopefully.
‘It might be a right-back, it might be a left winger, it might be a centre-forward.
‘Right-back is a priority, but we have a number of positions I’d like to strengthen like midfield and one or two attacking areas. ‘You don’t want to overcook it either, but we want to add to the quality in the squad that we already have.
‘The boys are doing a brilliant job at the minute, but they could do with a little bit of help in terms of strength in depth.’ Jozo Simunovic, meanwhile, has been hit with a two-game domestic ban after being sent off against St Gallen in a pre-season friendly.