Toronto FC lands Israeli international Tal Ben Haim on loan

The 31-year-old joins the struggling MLS side from recently relegated EPL club Queens Park Rangers.

The club announced Thursday that it has brought in Israeli international defender Tal Ben Haim from English side Queens Park Rangers on a short term deal. Ben Haim joins Toronto just two days after the team finalized loans for Birmingham defender Steven Caldwell and New Zealand international midfielder Jeremy Brockie.

Ben Haim was briefly a teammate of TFC head coach Ryan Nelsen at QPR, as the 31-year-old signed at the London club in January.

“Tal Ben Haim has been one of the top defenders in the EPL for nearly a decade," TFC president and general manager Kevin Payne said in a statement. "He captains his national team and Ryan thinks the world of him.

“He’s exactly the sort of veteran defender we need.”

Having started his professional career with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2001, Ben Haim made the transition to English club football in 2004 when he joined Bolton Wanderers. After a successful stint there, he made stops at Chelsea, Manchester City, Sunderland, Portsmouth and West Ham before signing with QPR earlier this year.

He has also earned 71 caps for Israel since making his international debut in a match against Germany in 2002. He last played internationally in a World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland in March.

Toronto FC's next match is May 18 at BMO Field versus Columbus Crew.