Yossi Benayoun survives horror grenade explosion as ex-Liverpool & Chelsea star's family home in Israel attacked by 'mistake'

The 44-year-old, who also spent time with West Ham and Arsenal during his time in England, was in the house - which is located in Ramat Hasharon, just north of Tel Aviv - when a motorcyclist pulled up and threw an explosive at the door - as per The Sun.

Said device triggered a fire, as the attacker fled the scene, with emergency services called to extinguish the flames. Nobody was hurt, but local police forces are now carrying out an investigation. The incident is considered to have been of criminal nature, not terrorist.

Benayoun is convinced that he was not the intended target, saying of the terrifying incident: “This is definitely a mistake - I have no doubt that the grenade was not aimed at my house.

“At first I thought it was a gas cylinder explosion and we called the fire department. It was only when the police arrived at the house and found the remains of a grenade that we realised what really happened.”

A spokesperson said: “The police hotline received a report of hearing an explosion outside a house. Police from the Glilot station arrived at the scene and began an investigation. As a result of the explosion, damage was caused. There were no casualties.”

Benayoun took in almost 200 appearances during his time in the Premier League, winning the Europa League with Chelsea in 2013. He is Israel’s most-capped player, with 102 international appearances to his name, and retired in 2019 after a 22-year career.