Yossi Benayoun advised Manor Solomon to sign with West Ham: "He was my idol"

Manor Solomon told the Daily Mail that he consulted with Yossi Benayoun before his move to West Ham, and that the former Israel national team star encouraged him to join the Hammers.

"We trained together. It was truly amazing to share a dressing room with him. He is truly a hero. He and Eyal Berkovic are the best Israeli footballers we have ever had. He was my idol," Solomon said of Benayoun.

"Because he is Israeli, he managed to reach England, to play in the Premier League, at Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, West Ham, at the biggest clubs in England," the winger added. "When I was little, I looked up to him. If he fulfilled his dream, coming from Dimona, a small city in Israel, and played in the Premier League at the biggest clubs, maybe one day I could too."

Solomon added: "He was a winger, a number 10, similar to me. Different, but similar. I looked at him and said: 'If Yossi did it, maybe in the future I can get close to him.'"

Benayoun had two spells at West Ham. He helped the team reach the FA Cup final in 2006 and returned to it on loan from Chelsea in 2012. "I had a few options," Solomon said. "I asked him what he thought was the best option. Obviously, he played at West Ham and he told me he sees me in English football. In his view, I am very well suited for English football. West Ham could be a really good place for me."

The Israeli star admitted that he was not aware of the intensity of the rivalry between Tottenham and West Ham: "I didn't know that," he said. "I know that everyone in London hates each other, especially the big clubs. Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea, West Ham, everyone hates each other, but I didn't know how big it was. It doesn't matter where I came from. I think if I had come from Tottenham, from Liverpool, or from Fiorentina, it doesn't matter. I will try to give my maximum."