Beram Kayal announces his retirement from professional football

Earlier today, former Albion great Beram Kayal announced his retirement from professional football.

One to make you feel old, Kayal retiring at 37 allows an opportunity to look back on some memorable moments.

The man who helped change everything

We always like to look back on the ones who paved the way for the rest to follow through. The Israeli joined the club along with fellow compatriot Tomer Hemed in the following season.

During the time of Kayal’s arrival, Albion were enduring the worst season in the modern ‘Amex’ era. The infamous Sami Hyypia days had just come to an end, and the January transfer window offered the new head coach at the time, Chris Hughton, an opportunity to steer the club to safety.

Kayal’s arrival made a stark difference. Noticing the gulf in quality was instantly visible, and all of a sudden, fans were not looking as down as they thought. Quick feet, clever in space, Brighton had themselves a gem.

MILTON KEYNES, ENGLAND - MARCH 19: Dale Stephens, Tomer Hemed, and Beram Kayal of Brighton and Hove Albion celebrate after scoring the first goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Milton Keynes Dons and Brighton and Hove Albion at Stadium;mk on March 19, 2016 in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. (Photo by Patrik Lundin/Getty Images)

Both Chris Hughton and Kayal’s arrival shall always be remembered as a moment that kept Tony Bloom’s record on track. When the ‘algorithm’ breaks, the football eye needs to take over. Hughton helped successfully guide Albion to Championship safety after being left in a tough scenario by Hyypia. The influence of the new arrival from Celtic offered the potential for much more to come.

Kayal formed a magical partnership with Dale Stephens, accompanied by Steve Sidwell, one year later. The trio became one of the finest in the Championship, and the combined sub-£1 million signings provided more than their monetary worth.

Acting as the class above during a time when a club needs you most is always the sign of a serious player, and for just £350k, it is safe to say he was a bargain of the moment.

When Tomer Hemed arrived, the duo became iconic. Goals galore, Hemed offered the best goalscoring return for an Albion striker since the departures of Leonardo Ulloa and Ashley Barnes. The Israeli duo became the Championship’s best, and Hemed could always be relied upon to take a calm penalty.

Instant memories like MK Dons away, or ‘7k to MK’ spring to mind. My £1 ticket as an U16 was pretty good value as Brighton pushed towards their 3rd place finish, only to narrowly, bitterly miss out on promotion to Middlesbrough on the final day.

Beram Kayal helped earn Brighton’s promotion in 2017, and the memories of pitch invasions and singing from the Amex turf to the streets of Hove and on the Lawns. Kayal was influential, and the fans loved him. Despite playing in small moments in the new Premier League years, the impact in the Championship must never be forgotten. My childhood memories that I will never forget.

From the classy performances, to ‘assisting’ Inigo Calderon scoring with his face.

Thank you for making my club become a European competing institution and contributing towards this incredible story that keeps being written. A very happy retirement, Beram.