Sheran Yeini reached another amazing landmark in his illustrious Maccabi Tel Aviv career. Our veteran captain made a late second half substitute appearance in the 1-0 victory over Hapoel Haifa at Sammy Ofer and made his 550th career appearance in Yellow and Blue. At the end of the match, the 37-year-old Yeini, who is ranked 2nd in Maccabi’s all-time appearance chart with only Miko Belo ahead of him.
“I am just delighted” Yeini said at the end of the match as he faced the media. “I never thought this is something I will ever achieve and was never my target as a little child. I wanted to play football, I wanted to play in Europe. I never thought I will make so many appearances and reach second place of the appearance chart in Maccabi Tel Aviv’s history. This is amazing and I am just going with the flow – the more the merrier. I am still enjoying myself, to arrive every day in training, even when I am not playing to do the compensatory sessions with Yossi Zigdon. To sprint. I am really enjoying my football.”
Yeini rejected any thoughts he might be considering to hang-up his boots, as he replied: “I have no such intention, unless Maccabi would like me to retire, but I am enjoying my football and not even thinking of retirement. Physically I am feeling great, I do suffer from pain, but it is just like any other player because there is no player who doesn’t suffer from pain.”
Yeini, whose second half appearance against Haifa was his fifth of appearance this season, added: “Even players who are not playing, we always want to prove ourselves and the fact I am enjoying myself is what matters. I have no intention to play for any other club. If Maccabi will not want me to continue as a player, then I will retire.”
On Maccabi’s amazing season so far, Yeini said: “Our coaching staff keeps driving us to victory. It doesn’t make a difference whether that is a training session or a drill, you don’t want to finish last. We never want to lose as they always push us forward which becomes [art of our nature. This is massively important. Even when we are not playing our best football, we still win matches. It is important to look at those moments when we are not at our best, or at moments when we don’t score. We need to work on it and kill off games much earlier.”
