Hozez, who will turn 22 next month, signed a new three-year-deal with an option which will keep him at the club until 2022.

Hozez told the club’s official website: “I am delighted to have signed a contract extension at the club I grew up. This was my ultimate target from the day I joined the youth department at the age of six. Now all I am left to do is justify the faith shown in me and prove to the coach that my place is at Maccabi Tel Aviv”. 

Maccabi CEO Ben Mansford added: “Every sports club prides itself on developing talent with the ultimate goal of seeing those players grace their first team. Matan is one of those talents. It gives me great pleasure to announce today that Matan has committed his long term future to Maccabi. Matan was always a stand out performer for the Maccabi Youth Teams. In recent seasons Matan has continued to develop and progress through certain loan moves culminating with his very successful period at Bnei Yehuda last season. Matan finished 17/18 as one of the most exciting attacking players in the Premier League. This contract recognizes Matan’s progression and rewards him and his family for all of the effort he has put into his journey so far. I look forward to seeing Matan continue to drive forward at Maccabi”.  

The talented winger emerged from Maccabi’s youth academy before being loaned to Beitar Tel Aviv Ramle for the 2015/16 season. Enjoying his first taste at senior level, Hozez scored 11 goals in 29 appearances for the second division side. At the end of that season in July 2016, Hozez made his senior competitive appearance for Maccabi against Maccabi Petah Tikva in the Toto Cup. He then joined Hapoel Ashkelon on loan and in his first season playing top flight football, Hozez scored 3 goals in 23 appearances. Last season Hozez continued his progress on loan at Bnei Yehuda where he scored 6 league goals in 35 appearances and a total of 41 in all competitions which paved his way back to Maccabi’s senior squad.

Hozez made 8 appearances for the Israel U21’s as well as 8 more appearances for the U19’s for which he scored 4 goals.