Yaniv Katan (; born 27 January 1981) is a retired Israeli international footballer who played professionally for Maccabi Haifa, as a forward and winger. He earned 31 caps for Israel, scoring five goals. Personal life Katan was born in Kiryat Ata, Israel, and is Jewish. Club career In December 2005, Katan signed a four-year contract with West Ham United, where he joined up with Israeli international teammate Yossi Benayoun. The transfer, which was officially completed during the January 2006 transfer window, involved a cut-price fee of £100,000, as Katan had only six months left on his Maccabi contract. He made eight appearances, including six from the bench, for West Ham. At the end of the 2005–06 season, Katan moved back to Maccabi Haifa in a loan deal, with a view to a permanent move, after Alan Pardew reportedly told him he was no longer in his plans. He returned to Israel and made his loan deal permanent by signing a new four-year deal with Haifa. After 25 years in Maccabi Haifa, on 19 June 2014, Katan decided to retire from active playing. On 5 April 2015, a farewell ceremony for Katan was held at the Sammy Ofer Stadium on which both Maccabi Haifa's chairman Ya'akov Shahar and Katan led a speech and the fans held a giant flag with Katan's pictures. Career statistics Club Honours Maccabi Haifa Israeli Championships Winner (6): 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2008–09, 2010–11 Runner-up (5): 1999–2000, 2002–03, 2009–10, 2012–13 Toto Cup Winner (3): 2002–03, 2005–06, 2007–08 State Cup Runner-up (4): 2002, 2009, 2011, 2012 West Ham United FA Cup Runner-up (1): 2006 See also List of select Jewish football (association; soccer) players References External links Yaniv Katan profile and stats on FootballDatabase.com Yaniv Katan profile and club history on Maccabi Haifa Official Website Yaniv Katan Profile and Statistics on One.co.il After 25 years in Maccabi Haifa, On 19 June 2014, Katan decided to retire from active playing. 1981 births Israeli Jews Living people Association football forwards Israeli footballers Maccabi Haifa F.C. players West Ham United F.C. players Israel international footballers Liga Leumit players Israeli Premier League players Premier League players Israeli expatriate footballers Expatriate footballers in England Israeli expatriate sportspeople in England Israeli people of Iraqi-Jewish descent Footballers from Kiryat Ata