The Dutch winger has struggled for playing time since joining the Latics from Birmingham in 2008, with opportunities few and far between. De Ridder had harboured hopes that he would be used more often under Roberto Martinez, but this has not proven to be the case. Hapoel are known to be keen and appeal to the player as he has Israeli roots and is fluent in Hebrew. De Ridder, though, claims it is the sporting opportunity that primarily draws him to his mother's birthplace, with Hapoel still involved in the Europa League. "At the beginning I was very positive about the offensive intent of our new coach Roberto Martinez," he told Sportweek. "My chance has not come. If I want to play this season a move looks to be the right solution. "That aspect is playing a role in choosing the Israeli league. Yes, I can speak Hebrew but more important is that Hapoel tel Aviv is the current runner-up to Maccabi Haifa and still plays in the Europa League. "They qualified from a group with big teams likes HSV, Celtic and Rapid Vienna in first place. "Now they play in the next round against Rubin Kazan."
