Ex-Liverpool star Yossi Benayoun suffers grenade attack on family home

He was at home during the attack

The ex-midfielder who also enjoyed spells at West Ham, Chelsea and Arsenal, was in the house when the attack took place.

An unknown motorcyclist pulled up outside his house before hurling the device at Benayoun's front door.

It exploded and started a fire as the culprit fled the scene.

Police and firefighters were called to the property in Ramat Hasharon, just north of Tel Aviv, at around 11pm on Sunday.

No one was injured in the attack despite extensive damage to the property.

Police are investigating it as a suspected criminal attack, rather than a terrorist incident, amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza war. 

The 44-year-old believes it was a case of mistaken identity and that he was not the intended target.

He said: "This is definitely a mistake - I have no doubt that the grenade was not aimed at my house.

"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."

A police spokesman said: "The police hotline received a report of hearing an explosion outside a house.

"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."

During his playing career, Benayoun made nearly 200 appearances in the Premier League, playing for West Ham in the 2006 FA Cup Final defeat to Liverpool.

While at Liverpool he became the first player to score a Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League hat-trick - against Burnley, Havant & Waterlooville and Beskitas respectively.

After switching to play for Chelsea, he was part of the squad who won the Europa League in 2013.

After a 22 year career, he retired in 2019 after scoring 173 goals in 728 appearances.