Avram Grant has paid tribute to his compatriot Avi Cohen after the former Liverpool and Israel defender passed away today.
The 54-year-old, who spent two years at Liverpool and one at Rangers during a distinguished playing career, was injured in a motorcycle accident on 20 December.
Cohen was the first Israeli footballer to play in England and paved the way for others to follow, including Hammers quartet Eyal Berkovic, Yossi Benayoun, Yaniv Katan and current player Tal Ben Haim.
Grant said: "My deepest sympathy goes to Avi's wife Dorit and his son Tamir, and all his family and friends. Avi was a great player and a great man, and always had a smile on his face.
"He will be much missed by everyone in football. I played against him when we were both young and his enthusiasm for football always stayed the same his whole life. This is a sad day for me."