Oscar Gloukh: Israeli youngster at forefront of revolution – who turned down Barcelona

Oscar Gloukh was walking off the pitch after playing his first Israeli Premier League game for Maccabi Tel Aviv when he had a tap on the shoulder.

Aged 17, he had scored against Maccabi Tel Aviv’s fierce rivals, Maccabi Haifa, in a packed Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv in April 2022. Had it not been for a 90th-minute equaliser, it would have won his side the game.

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The tap on his shoulder was from one of the broadcasters, who wanted to interview the teenager many in Israel believe to be one of football’s brightest prospects.

Talking in Hebrew, Gloukh — who is now 19 — was asked if he could explain the difference between playing in the academy to making a senior debut in a derby match in front of a vociferous crowd and how he handled the pressure.

Roughly translated, his answer was: “For me, it is the same — you just have more people in the stands and afterwards you asked me to speak on TV.”

Those close to the attacking midfielder believe this gives an insight into Gloukh’s mindset, which was forged during his upbringing.

At the Adjarabet Arena in Batumi, Georgia, on Tuesday night, where England beat Israel 3-0 to advance to Saturday’s final, Gloukh once again showed moments of brilliance in what was otherwise a terrible performance from the Israeli youngsters.

But Israel have reason to be hopeful. The country has reached the Under-19 Euros final and the Under-20 World Cup semi-final in the past 12 months — beating Brazil along the way. This month, their under-21s, including Gloukh, got to the Under-21 Euros semi-final. The youth teams are leading the country’s football revolution.

The senior men’s team have not qualified for a senior World Cup since 1970, but the quality they have bubbling beneath the surface could