Israel goalkeeper Daniel Peretz continues to draw attention in England — not only for his performances on the pitch, but also for his high-profile relationship with his wife, singer Noa Kirel. Ahead of Saturday night’s FA Cup quarterfinal clash against Arsenal, the Southampton goalkeeper was featured in a major piece in The Sun, which dubbed the couple “the Israeli version of the Beckhams,” in reference to David and Victoria Beckham.
Peretz, who married Kirel last November, recalled how it began: “We got together just a few months after Eurovision. When I watched the Eurovision, I said: ‘Wow, I want her to be my wife, she’s the most beautiful woman in the world.’”
He also addressed the attention the couple receives: “In Israel, it’s really nice as we get a lot of love from all the people. I’m really blessed. Who has the higher profile? She does, definitely. I think she’s the most famous person in Israel.”
Peretz spoke about the difficulty of being far from his family: “It’s not easy because we have a lot of sirens there, and you have to be in the bunker or in the safe rooms. It’s not always easy to do this separation in life, and you are worried a lot about what’s happening. They are always following the instructions, and I’m in touch with them always.” Despite that, he emphasized the support he receives: “At the club they help me a lot, they give me a lot of confidence, and they’re trying to keep me focused 100% on football.”
He also reflected on his brief time at Bayern Munich: “Suddenly seeing Manuel Neuer every day — I watched every single save of his, and then with me in the day-by-day, and he became a friend. When I first met him, I was sweating all over and I was so nervous and I could not speak.”
Looking ahead to the match against Arsenal, Peretz did not hide his excitement: “It’s one of the biggest games that I’ve played because we know that if we win, we’re going to Wembley.”