Shai Biruk

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Shai Biruk
Personal information
Full name	Shai Biruk
Date of birth	February 15, 1984
Place of birth	?, Ethiopia
Position	Midfield
Club information
Current club	Maccabi Netanya
Number	-
Youth clubs
1999–2003	Beitar Nes Tubruk Ajax Amsterdam Maccabi Haifa FC
Professional clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (goals)
2003–2006 2006-present	Maccabi Haifa FC Maccabi Netanya	45 (7) 0 (0)
National team**
2004-2005	Israel U21	3 (0)
* Professional club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 July 2006. ** National team caps and goals correct as of 1 July 2006.

Shay Biruk (Hebrew: שי בירוק) (born February 15, 1984) is an Israeli football (soccer) player of Ethiopian Jewish descent. He moved to Israel at the age of six with his family. While playing for the Israeli youth academy, Beitar Nes Tubruk his footballing talent was noticed by scouts from the Dutch football club Ajax. Biruk accepted an offer to join the youth system in Amsterdam only to come back to Israel six months later citing homesickness. During his time at Ajax, he met a fellow Jewish Israeli footballer named Daniel de Ridder and was the first to report on Ajax having a Jewish Israeli on their books to the Israel Football Association.

He was the subject of a short tug of war between Tottenham Hotspur, Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Haifa FC. He decided to commit to Haifa and joined their youth team before making a call up to the full side about two seasons later. After three years in the full side, his contract was not renewed so he left on a free transfer. On August 21, 2006 he agreed to a one year deal with Maccabi Netanya.