"We've got Abada, he's on the wing / We've got Kyogo, he's doing his thing / Ange is the leader / We'll follow the Celtic all over the world."
This chant is regularly sung by 60,000 Celtic fans in Scotland, at the Celtic Park Stadium in Glasgow. Analyzing the chant literarily – Kyogo Furuhashi is the team's Japanese attacker, Ange Postecoglou is their Greek manager, and the first in the trinity is none other than Liel Abada, the young player from Israel, who was signed last summer from Maccabi Petah Tikva and, aged 20, has become the club's star.
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"Of course, I know the chant by heart," Abada laughs in his Glasgow apartment. "Every time I hear the fans, it amazes me that they are singing it, especially for me. I feel that I have to return the favor on the field."
Even if you haven't heard of him yet, it looks like Liel Abada is poised to be the next big thing in Israeli soccer. When he first came to Scotland, many thought that at his young age he would find it hard to adapt to life at the demanding club, which fights every year for a range of trophies, but he answered them on the field, with 14 goals and nine assists in what's been a dream season so far. For two respected journalists at The Scottish Sun, this was enough to crown him the discovery of the season.
"You feel the pressure in every match, also because of the demands at the club, but pressure creates diamonds, right?" says Greg Taylor, who plays for Celtic and the Scotland team. "Look at Liel and see how he improves every day. Since he joined us, he had lots of big moments and he has a really good talent for sniffing out goals.
"Coming to a club this size, it does take time to adapt and to settle, and we've seen that with a lot of players over the years. But you look at Liel – he scored in Europe in his first game, and he's really taken to the team and to the club. He's not shy, just a quiet young man who's trying to improve every day like we all are."
Abada is the middle child of Ronen and Lilach, who live in Petah Tikva. He has an older sister, Shoval, and a younger brother, Orel, who plays for the Maccabi Petah Tikva youth team. His father is actually more of a basketball fan, but noticed that from a young age, Liel was more drawn to the field outside their home.
"I always loved playing soccer," he says. I used to go down to the playground with a ball, and during sports classes at school you could usually find me on the field. My father was the one who pushed me from a young age. He has two friends whose children are good friends of mine, and they encouraged him to send me to a team. Still, career aside, I studied at Brenner High School in Petah Tikva, and I can say that was the place that allowed me to combine soccer with studying and I graduated with full matriculation."
Q: Who was your model as a player?
"Lionel Messi, because he maintains stability and he already has seven Ballon d'Ors, the award for the best player in the world."
Abada began playing for the Hapoel Petah Tikva youth team. At the age of 13, though, he found himself on the other side of the proverbial street with Maccabi Petah Tikva, a smaller club, even by Israeli standards. But Abada isn't the club's first player to play abroad. Before him was Manor Solomon, who has spent the last three seasons at the Ukrainian club Shakhar Donetsk, which is only supposed to be his first stop en route to bigger clubs on the continent.
"It's true that there were other possibilities, but from our perspective, my father and I made the right decision," Abada says. "Maccabi Petach Tikva is closer to our home and we also knew that the race for titles was less important at the club, and developing youngsters was more important. Don't forget that they've had one of the best youth departments in Israel for years. No other club in Israel works according to their methods, and because of this, you see many young players find themselves in the senior team.
"What you get there as a young player is mostly support and security, exactly what a soccer player needs at that age. It's true that I didn't play there for many years, but I feel like I went through a process there. The team was relegated to the National League, but it helped me and other players, who to this day are the foundation of the team, develop and grow stronger. The next season we were promoted to the Premier League and Guy Luzon, the coach, who put me in the first team, always gave me security and trusted in my ability, and made sure I improve."
Abada started playing for Maccabi Petah Tikva's senior team aged 17 and three months, and from a young age, he was also "marked" as a candidate for a move to Europe. At Maccabi Petah Tikva, players like him are an investment, and ultimately a source of income that allows the club to exist in the top leagues.
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In the winter of 2021, he was already on his way to the top Ukrainian team, Dynamo Kiev. Prior to the Russian invasion, everything was quiet, and the Ukrainian club was the most successful in the country, an excellent incubator for young players arriving a little later to the big leagues.
"I had almost signed with them," he says, "they sent people to watch me play but it broke down at the last moment."
The parties had already agreed on a fee and even closed on the salary, but when the Dynamo Kiev staff sent the Israeli's representative the contract, it became clear that they had added draconian disciplinary clauses, such as massive lateness fines, or that jurisdiction over the player would be in the hands of the Ukrainian courts and not in the hands of UEFA or FIFA as is customary.
"Things didn't work out with the negotiations," he said, "but I said to myself, 'This won't break you, look to the future, because your goal is ultimately to play in Europe.' I don't know if I was really disappointed, because I'm not the type of person who allows things like that to get me down. I knew that I couldn't slow down because in the summer the move would happen."
Q: I'm sure you were already in the swing of transition.
"You're a young player whose dream is to play in Europe; you see it right before your eyes, and in the end, it doesn't happen. Maybe there was a feeling of missing out, but I continued to tell myself that I had a goal – to play in Europe. I always prepared for that."
Q: Did you feel ready to leave home at such a young age?
"I always prepared myself for the moment that I would leave Israel and play in a European league. Every player who leaves his home and country experiences difficulties – whether it's being away from family and friends, or that his girlfriend isn't always with him – but, in the end, this is the life that I chose, to be a professional soccer player. When you go to play abroad it comes at the expense of things that you are used to, and you need to be willing to give them up."
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A short while after the collapse of the deal with Dinamo Kiev, Maccabi Petah Tikva Chairman Avi Luzon invited him for dinner. Abada was surprised to also find his agent, Dudu Dahan, there. The two let him sit down, and only then told him that there was a serious offer from the Scottish club Celtic, which expressed interest in signing him in the summer of 2021.
"I was in touch with Dudu throughout those months and he told me Celtic was interested," Abada says. "The moment that interest became serious, I also heard it from Avi Luzon. At that stage, I already knew a lot about the club. First of all, I had seen them play more than once because their games are broadcast in Israel, and there's nobody who loves football who doesn't know about the club's tradition or about their amazing fans. I knew from the start that this connection suited me."
The average Israeli soccer fan knows the name Celtic thanks to the Israelis who played at the club, including Eyal Berkovic, Beram Kayal, and Nir Bitton, who still plays there alongside Abada. If you look closer, you learn that Celtic is one of the most influential clubs in Britain, Europe, and even the world. Their stadium, Celtic Park, holds 60,411 fans. Every match is sold out, and the waiting list for a season ticket currently numbers 17,000 fans.
Celtic was founded in 1888 by Brother Walfrid, a Catholic monk who came to Scotland from Ireland following the Great Famine in the country. His primary goal was to raise money for food for poor children and he is the one who suggested the name, in order to emphasize the Scottish-Irish roots of the team.
But nobody thought that this step by a Catholic monk would turn Celtic into the team that is identified, perhaps more than any other, with Catholicism and Irish roots. Many of the team's home matches are attended by fans who come all the way from Dublin, and even from Boston in the United States.
The club's Catholic affiliation only deepened when the city rival, Glasgow Rangers, became a symbol of Protestantism. To this today the city derby, the 'Old Firm,' is thought of as one of the most intense matches on the continent, although over the years the clubs have tried to lower the flames, contrasting with the periods in which a Catholic player couldn't play for Rangers and a Protestant player couldn't play for Celtic.
Celtic and Rangers used to be major forces in European football, and Celtic even won the European Cup in 1967, but in recent years, with big money playing a central role, the two teams have weakened. The Rangers fought off heavy debts and only returned to the top league in 2016.
The first Israeli to play for Celtic was Eyal Berkovic, who made the move in 1999 for a record £5.75 million. But the player, who was then seen as the best in Israeli soccer, found it hard to acclimatize to Scotland. Berkovic didn't connect to the diehard fans and quickly found himself off the team.
Over the years, Beram Kayal and Rami Gershon also played there, mainly thanks to the club's good relations with the Dahan. But before arriving at Celtic, Abada hadn't knocked the talent scouts off their feet, not even in Israel. For many, the £4 million transfer fee the Scots paid didn't seem like the best bet.
The Athletic magazine, which ran a profile piece on Abada immediately following his arrival, checked the statistics and came to the conclusion that "He is not the most complete player for the coach and it seems that he isn't good enough for the first team, despite the high fee they paid for him. Expectations need to be kept in check – he is more of a long-term investment and not someone who can strengthen the squad immediately."
There were many nerve-wracking moments for the player and his agent before the move was completed last summer, and the difficulties that encounter every player's transfer were compounded by the global coronavirus pandemic.
"We had a very stressful journey because of COVID restrictions," Abada recalls. "Everything happened within less than a week, and in the end, we took a flight to London and we had to wait there for a few days while they issued me a work permit. Even then, because of flight problems, we took a seven-hour train to Glasgow. I can say that the moment you understand that everything is behind you, it's all great. I spoke with Dudu, my agent, the entire way, and I felt good."
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Luckily for Abada, Nir Bitton, who has played for Celtic since 2013, was already waiting for him in Glasgow. Bitton, like Abada, also came to Scotland at a young age, 21, from Maccabi Ashdod. Today he is a senior figure on the field and in the dressing room, and even sometimes serves as the team's captain.
"I've played with Nir on the national team and I know him from there, but when the deal with Celtic got going, the connection between us got stronger," he says with a smile. "I asked him what he thought about the move and he told me not to worry, that it was a brilliant club. It's always fun when you've got a friend from back home and for me, Nir is like a big brother. He's always there for me, and he's got his wonderful family here, his wife and children, who give me a feeling of home. They really helped me to acclimatize."
Abada found an apartment not far from Bitton's home, in an upscale neighborhood where many Celtic players live. "It's the first time I've lived away from my parents' home, but with time you get used to it," he laughs. "When I'm alone I cook for myself, tidy up and clean if needed. I knew that if I went to play abroad I wouldn't be alone most of the time, because Bar, my girlfriend, visits a lot and is with me. My family and people who are close to me visit a lot, and if they aren't with me, I try to have long chats with them on Facetime. I make sure to stay in touch so I don't feel like I'm missing out."
Bar is Bar Rashti, Abada's girlfriend of two years. "We met on Instagram," he says. "She saw me playing, started following me, and we've been together ever since. As we're still not married there is a problem with her visa and she can only be in Scotland for six months out of the year, but we knew that was the reality and we're making do. Bar comes whenever she can and makes sure I don't lack anything. I feel like she's always with me and our connection is really good, even when she's not here."
Q: Are you talking about getting married?
"It's still early; we have a long way to go and obstacles to face. I hope that the good relationship will continue and I am proud of her and I love her very much."
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The club took Abada under its wings as soon as he arrived in Glasgow. They knew that because of his young age and inexperience they had to protect him. They assigned a teacher to help him with his English and told him that he could ask for anything he needed.
On the day that we spoke, for example, club's staff was there, sent to solve problems with his electricity at home. The Scottish-style English they spoke sounds completely different from the English Israelis are familiar with, and while "it was hard for me at first, now I feel much better with the language," he says.
"You slowly get used to the way of speaking, and now I understand them and I've also stopped being afraid of making mistakes in English. I believe that with time it will only improve. I speak much better English than when I left Israel."
Q: Have you got used to the cold weather in Scotland?
"It's cold here, but the winter equipment we receive in training has really helped and I can say that I have gotten used to it much faster than I expected. I love being here, and even if it's a bit cold it won't dampen my experience."
Every day at around 9 a.m., he arrives at club's training ground in Lennoxtown, 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Glasgow.
"There's an amazing training facility here," he says. "There's everything for a football player here – a large gym and swimming pool, sauna, ice bath, and many fields spread out across the compound, each for a different use."
Q: What does your daily routine look like?
"I arrive in the morning with all the other players. We eat together and afterward have a meeting, or we go to the gym with the trainers. When we finish, we go to train on the field, and at the end, we get changed and eat lunch. I often stay on the training ground and work out in the gym with a trainer. All of the coaches there give all of the support and the backup. There is nothing you ask for professionally that you don't receive. On those days I go home in the afternoon. It's a full workday, but I enjoy it. It's what I was looking for."
He is also helped by the Jewish community in Scotland, which numbers a few thousand. With their help, he learned where to buy Israeli products and kosher food. When he isn't training or playing, he watches Israeli channels and shows on his computer or something on Netflix.
Abada and Bitton are, of course, not the only foreigners at Celtic that, like many clubs on the continent, is a multinational team. He has players from Japan, Sweden, Greece, Portugal, France, and Australia, playing beside him, as well as former England goalkeeper, Joe Hart.
"Our dressing room is strong and consolidated," Abada says. "At a team like this, you learn a lot of new things, because everyone brings something from their culture with them. All types of codes of behavior, even small things.
"I have a good relationship with Joe Hart. He is a goalkeeper who has done amazing things in his career, and it amazes me to think that someone who I watched on television, in big matches, is playing on my team."
When he scored the winning goal against Dundee United in overtime and was awarded man of the match, Hart collected the prize in his name and presented him to the Scottish media. "In Liel's name I want to say that he is thankful to everyone for the support," said the goalkeeper, who played 75 games for England. "It's a special moment for him, to win in the last minute."
When asked about going out with his teammates after matches, Abada answers simply, "I'm a homebody. I like to rest, not to go out too much. After matches, I prefer to come home, eat well, and sleep because that's what my body needs. The strain here is tremendous. There's a match nearly every three days and we have to cope with the intensity."
Despite this being only in his first season in Glasgow, there are already reports that, in light of his success, English Premier League club Crystal Palace wants to sign him immediately. Celtic is probably the bigger club in terms of reputation, but every player's dream is to play in the massively popular English Premier League.
Abada is careful with his answer to this topic. "I'm not dealing with that at the moment," he answers diplomatically. "I'm happy at Celtic and I am focused on the team, it's a great club."
Q: But what about the interest from Crystal Palace?
"Right now I'm focused only on Celtic."
Q: Now. But what about in another eight years?
"I don't deal with what will happen eight or 10 years from now. I'm happy at Celtic."
Abada has amazed the Scots with his rapid acclimatization. His debut game on July 20 saw him score in the Europa League qualifiers against Danish club FC Midthylland, and he hasn't stopped scoring since: 14 goals, nine assists.
"Look at Liel Abada, what about the numbers he's getting? It's unbelievable," said the team's former striker, John Hartson, who is known in Israel mostly for kicking Eyal Berkovic in the head during a training ground bust-up between the two in the late 1990s, when both were playing for West Ham United.
"I don't have an explanation for these numbers," Abada says modestly. "I train, give 100% and focus only on work and how to improve. I can say that, from the first match, my legs weren't shaking. The Scottish League is at a very high level, it's an aggressive league with a fast pace."
Q: How did you deal with the workload being so different from Israel?
"As a player, in the last few years in Israel, you also go through a lot, too. League matches, training, European matches. Matches for the national team, flights. You're always on the move and you enter a state where you know how to condition your body from match to match and from training session to training session. You know that, if you want to deal with the pressure, you also need to know how to recover, to eat and rest well."
The match that probably made him a darling of Celtic fans was the derby against Rangers, which took place at Celtic Park at the beginning of February. Celtic defeated their city rivals 3-0, and Abada managed a goal and an assist. Paul Forsyth, a football reporter with the Times, wrote that "Abada proved that he is on a different level in a team full of talent."
"From the moment I came here I understood that this is the most important match for the club and the fans," Abada says. "Even before I knew that it was one of the biggest derbies in the world, but the atmosphere was really crazy. To play in a packed stadium before a crowd like that, as a player – it's a dream come true, and I'm even happier that I scored. The truth is that every time, before a match, when I hear the crowd sing You'll Never Walk Alone – I get goosebumps all over. In my opinion, Celtic fans are some of the best in the world."
Q: And you came from Maccabi Petach Tikva, which at best draws 1,000 fans to the stadium.
"I can't explain the experience here. The craziness before a match and after you've scored goals. You need to be in the stadium in order to experience the intensity. There is great appreciation and respect for players here and you feel it not only in the stadium but also on social media. They are really welcoming. There's no chance that you'll go out on the streets and they won't ask for a photo with you. There's nowhere in the world where we'd travel without them being with us. It's great fun."
The victory over Rangers saw legendary singer Rod Stewart jumping up and down in the stands, and he is only one of the club's famous fans. Others include singer Lana Del Rey, actor Gerard Butler, and even Albanian President Ilir Meta, who founded a fan club in the capital Tirana.
But it's not all fun and games. Celtic fans, who five years ago won FIFA's "Best Fans of the Year" award, have among them a group that is hostile to Israel mainly because of the situation with the Palestinians. Palestinian flags have been waved more than once in matches, and outside the stadium, there are protests and even fundraising efforts for the Palestinians.
Abada asks not to address this subject. "I don't talk about politics," he explains.
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In Israeli soccer too, Abada without doubt spearheads the next generation. He plays for both the senior and the youth team; and in a qualifying match for the former against Poland last week, which finished 2:2, he scored a goal.
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This interview took place before the match with Germany last Tuesday, but the Under-21 team have a real chance of qualifying for the Euros, and Abada is also expected to have an important role in the senior team, especially in light of the fact that Eran Zahavi, the senior player and main goal-scorer, is already 34. In discussions about the new generation of players, there are those who fear that the coming generation is less talented.
Abada, who is convinced that he is deserving of more match time in the senior team, thinks differently about the future generation. "We have a good generation," he says, "and the more youngsters who play in Europe, the better our national team will be. The big dream is to qualify for a major tournament with the national team."
Q: Today, when you're career is about to take off, does the national team play a lesser role?
"The national team is everything to me. It's the country that you represent, it's the anthem. I love the national team, it's important for me to be a part of it."
On the Scottish front, the season is about to end. Celtic and Abada have already won the League Cup and are currently top of the league, a mere whisker from winning the really important trophy, and even better – taking it away from Rangers, the current champions.
"We have a lot of work to do to get there," he says, but the fear that he wouldn't adapt to his new surrounding has already passed, replaced by confidence.
Despite the fact that many senior and talented players didn't hold their own during their adventures in Europe, at times because they missed home and at times over the cultural difference, Abada looks forward fearlessly.
"Of course, I miss my family, my girlfriend, and friends, and it's true that in soccer you don't know what will happen tomorrow, but I hope to play as much as possible in Europe, to advance, and the main thing is to remain modest and to keep two feet on the ground," he concludes. "It was my dream since I started playing, and whenever I saw the big players on television, I said that one day, I wanted to be like them."
