I'd never have joined Chelsea if I'd known Grant was going to replace Mourinho, blasts Ben Haim

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Chelsea defender Tal Ben Haim has claimed he would never have joined the club had he known Jose Mourinho would be replaced as manager by Avram Grant so soon after his arrival.

The Israeli, 26, had been a target of former Blues boss Mourinho for some time and, having failed to secure a move from Bolton in the January transfer window, Ben Haim moved to Stamford Bridge last June.

However, within three months the man who had persuaded him to leave the north west for London had departed Chelsea after a fall out with owner Roman Abramovich.

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Covering tackle: Tal Ben Haim clears in front of Wayne Rooney at Wembley

Ben Haim has played just six matches since the turn of the year under Israeli Grant - just two of those in the Barclays Premier League - and has not featured since an FA Cup match against Huddersfield in mid-February.

"Jose Mourinho is the reason I came to Chelsea and if I knew Avram Grant was going to be the coach then I would have signed for another club," Ben Haim told The Sun.

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Signing on: Ben Haim (left) is unveiled as a Chelsea player by previous boss Mourinho

"It was Jose who brought me here and no one except he and I know the conversation we had when he tried to sign me the first time a year ago last January.

"The fact is while Jose was the coach I played most of the games and people who know me know that I would not have come here to be a reserve.

"I knew that nothing good would come with Grant as Chelsea coach."

 

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