Liverpool midfielder Yossi Benayoun (pictured) became the first ever Israeli football player to capture a spot in the FTBL Top 23 as the Reds came out of Upton Park with a deserved 3:2 win over West Ham United.

Benayoun picked up some 8 rating points in the game to boost his overall FTBL rating to 147.79 points, the highest of any Israeli player. He is now 13 rating points ahead of his nearest rival, Valencia’s David Silva (134.15 points).

Benayoun could even overtake Real Madrid’s star Xabi Alonso (158.12 points) as early as today, given the former Liverpool midfielder will have a daunting plank of approximately 30 rating points to beat when the Merengues take on Xerez CD in La Liga action this evening.

The Israeli international is more than likely to remain in the Top 23 even a week from today, as the Israel-Latvia game will be dropped from the list of his last five. He dropped 1.37 rating points in that game.