A sporting background
Khalaili was born in the Israeli city of Haifa in a sporting family, with his family hailing from the nearby town of Sakhnin.
It was a sporting family into which Khalaili was born – his father being a former goalkeeper and coach, and his younger brother, Iyad, currently a midfielder at Maccabi Haifa.
Anan Khalaili, however, began his journey at the academy of local side Beitar Haifa in 2012, spending two years there – reputedly playing his first game in goal, prior to moving outfield – before moving to Maccabi.
A season-long spell at FC Neve Yosef, Haifa’s youth team whom his father helped to coach, led to Khalaili’s promotion to the senior set-up, after – playing up front – the teenager netted 25 times in 24 appearances.
Some strike rate – and his side won the U19 league title to boot.
