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The curious case of Ben Sahar: Ex-Chelsea starlet's nomadic career has landed him back in Israel as he bids to dump Southampton out of Europe

You would be forgiven for spotting Ben Sahar in the Hapoel Be'er Sheva line-up that plays Southampton on Thursday night and thinking 'I recognise that name' but not being quite able to place it.

A decade ago, Sahar was a 17-year-old Israeli wonderkid who was hoping to achieve his dream of playing in the Premier League with Chelsea.

Indeed, this teenage prodigy was so talented, his country's government changed the rules to ensure that his progress would not be stunted by three years of mandatory national service.

Ben Sahar (centre) will be hoping to remind English football fans of his talent on Thursday
Ben Sahar (centre) will be hoping to remind English football fans of his talent on Thursday
He will lead theu00a0Hapoel Be'er Sheva attack when they face Southampton in the Europa League
He will lead the Hapoel Be'er Sheva attack when they face Southampton in the Europa League

But, a handful of fleeting appearances aside, Sahar joined the long list of Chelsea hopefuls who didn't make the breakthrough, embarking on a string of loan moves spread over three years before being let go.