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Fullname: Rami Gershon
Born: 12 Aug 1988
Birthplace: Rishon, LeZion, Israel
Signed: 9 January 2013 (6 mth loan/trial from Standard Liege)
Left: 12 June 2013 (end of loan, signed for Waasland-Beveren)
Position: Defender, Left-back
Debut: Inverness 1-3 Celtic, 9 Feb 2013 (and scored one goal)
Squad No: 5
Internationals: Israel
International Caps: 26
International Goals: 2
Biog
Rami Gershon came out of the blue as a triallist for Celtic. Known from reports only for having played few times for his last club (Standard Liege of Belgium), he had spent much of the last two seasons out on loan or on the treatment table. So was it to be the same again coming to Celtic as a triallist, which is always a gamble. The Israeli international had made it clear from the outset his ambition was to convince Celtic to exercise the £1m option to convert his loan deal to a permanent contract. He had a short window to prove it.
Said to be a strong full back, a kind we’d been accustomed to and could fit in, the trial was to prove if he could push himself ahead of the present incumbents or was he to be surplus to requirements?
One tabloid report tried to claim that he was the man to help tackle Juventus in the then upcoming knock-out round matches in the European Cup. He didn’t get picked for the matches and it was far fetched taking in his lack of recent action, but it had set unfair expectations he was supposed to match head on.
The team won in his debut against Inv Caley in the league, and remarkably he stole the headlines from his higher rated fellow debutant Tom Rogic, by scoring a debut headed goal. A fine debut for Gershon and a good performance.
After such a bright start it should have been onwards and upwards but really it was the end. A further appearance in the 3-2 defeat to Ross County didn’t help his case, but it wasn’t his fault for the loss. His appearances were to be just token although he never let himself down and actually performed well, so took his chances as best he could.
Injuries were his bane, and was the main reason why his appearances were curtailed . With other full-backs in tow, the coaching staff didn’t seem to think he was required or worth the risk. His career prior to this trial had been hampered by injuries with few appearances at his last club, and possibly the coaches thought it was being repeated at Celtic.
Full backs with injuries was a bane at Celtic, so why take the risk again? Matthews, Izzy, Lustig and (previously) Mark Wilson have repeatedly been out for long spells so we didn’t want another of the same ilk. In part, Gershon was added to the squad for cover for others in case of injuries (full-backs being commonly injured) so an irony on his own repeated injury situation.
A bit unlucky, as his further injuries were possibly created by his efforts to get up to speed to play. A number were impressed with his few appearances but without a good run of games, hard to have a complete opinion on him.
Sadly for Gershon, it was to be the end of the road with the loan deal unsurprisingly not rolled on or converted. That’s the problem with loan trials at clubs. They are a big risk for the players and without hitting the road running successfully for long you’ll be cut out quickly (as others like Brozek beforehand had found out themselves). He was played in a number of reserve/development team games so the coaches did have a good look at the guy.
In any case, Gershon was leaving with his head held high with some positives after his good debut, which marked him higher than certain other former triallists. Without the injury problems maybe we’d have given him a longer chance, but it was not to be.
Some believed we didn’t see him enough and should have been given further first team opportunities but the coaching staff have the last word. He signed for Waasland-Beveren in Belgium on his departure.
Post-Celtic
Having moved to KAA Gent in Belgium in time, things turned for the best. He won a league title and played in the Champions League, this at a time when Belgian football was on a high with an incredibly talented pool of players sought across the continent. He later returned to Israel and moved to Maccabi Haifa in what was to be a long successful spell, helping them to league titles and other silverware, and where we believe he ended his career.
[….]
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 2013 | 3 | – | – | – | 3 |
| Goals | 1 | – | – | – | 1 |
Honours with Celtic
Scottish Premier League
Pictures
KDS
Articles
Rami Gershon joins Celtic
(official site)
By: Newsroom Staff on 09 Jan, 2013 14:56
CELTIC are delighted to announce that an agreement has been reached with Rami Gershon and Standard Liege for the player to join Celtic until the end of the season.
Celtic also has an option to make a permanent transfer of the player at the end of this period.
Rami will join Neil Lennon´s squad on their winter training camp in Spain, pending the completion of the appropriate work permit paperwork, which is currently being carried out.
Dundee Utd scorer: Hegarty (83) Celtic star Rami Gershon: I trained to fight with Israeli army but I want to win medals at Parkhead
14 Mar 2013 08:17
D Record
THE tough defender did his national service in his homeland before pursuing a professional career as a footballer.
Rami Gershon spent three years in the army but wants to be given his first medal in the colours of Celtic Rami Gershon spent three years in the army but wants to be given his first medal in the colours of Celtic
HARDMAN Rami Gershon spent three years in the Israeli Army – but wants to be handed his first medal in the colours of Celtic.
The strapping defender, who agreed a loan move to Parkhead from Standard Liege in January, did his national service in his homeland before moving to Belgium and is anxious to show Neil Lennon he’s the kind of person he would want alongside him in the trenches.
He wants to turn his loan spell into a permanent move and is desperate to force his way into Lennon’s side.
He is required to play 10 games for Celtic to earn an SPL title medal.
He said: “I want to play enough games to earn a medal.
“If we are champions then I will feel more a part of it if I play more often.
“But even if I don’t play a lot it will be a good experience for me. I have never won a medal before so if we do it this will be my first.
“I am hoping to make my first appearance at Celtic Park on Saturday. I have been on the bench here twice and the supporters were incredible.
“It’s a beautiful stadium so playing here will be amazing.
“I’ve spoken to the manager about this and, of course, I realise there are others who can play in my position and I must be patient.
“Every time I don’t play I don’t go running to the coach. I try to impress by hard work and by passion and I hope to play as often as possible.”
Gershon enjoyed his national service back home and admitted he may have ended up in the army had he not found football.
Speaking as he promoted ticket sales for the visit of the Dons and Green Day at Celtic Park he said: “I did three years’ national service with the Israeli Army from the age of 18 until I was 21.
“Everyone has to do it but it doesn’t mean every child is a warrior who fights like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“Everybody trains. I know how to shoot and how to throw a grenade but I never fought. I played for the Under-21 national team so I had special conditions. I had to train and play in games.
“I’ve been a soldier but I can’t say I was a great warrior. In our army 30 per cent are warriors and the remaining 70 per cent are what we call jobniks.
“I had a job then but I can’t say what I did because of national security.
“To be honest it was my dream to become a warrior but you cannot combine that with football.
“One of my best friends was a warrior. In three years you would see them once a month because they don’t come home and you cannot play football every two weeks – or even train – under those circumstances.”
Gershon, who has 10 caps for his national team, would have been honoured to represent the army’s football side but wasn’t allowed.
He added: “The army had a football team but as a professional I was not allowed to play.
“The other soldiers could play and there were matches between the different units.
“I have fighting qualities and maybe if I wasn’t a footballer I would still be a soldier. All my family and friends know that.
“When I was in the army I was surrounded by lazy people and they would laugh at me because I put too much effort into my job.
“I already had a club (Hapoel Rishon Lezion) when I did my national service and it was difficult because I would need to go to the army at 6am every day and stay until two or three o’clock in the afternoon.
“Then I had to go to football training and sometimes I had to go back and sleep at the army base. I’m a hard worker.”
Gershon’s Israeli clubmate, midfielder Beram Kayal, was exempt from national service and the defender said: “Beram is from the Arabic population so he didn’t have to do it.”
Having made just one appearance for Standard this season, Gershon has already surpassed that total with the SPL leaders.
He made a scoring debut in a 3-1 win at Inverness last month and then played 65 minutes in Saturday’s 3-2 defeat at the hands of Ross County in Dingwall.
Now he’s recovered from the minor knocks that ruled him out of contention for selection between the trips to the Highlands, Gershon can’t wait to be given the opportunity to show the Celtic supporters exactly what he can do.
He said: “It was a very good feeling just to be playing again. I still feel I have a lot more to give.
“Footballers can only give their best when they are playing but it’s important to realise sometimes you play and sometimes you don’t.
“You need to be professional and be ready. That’s why you have a squad and Celtic are a big club with a lot of good players.”