Dekel was the preferred partner to Tal Ben Haim at centre-back during Israel’s World Cup 2010 qualifying campaign. He has been ever present in the Israel national team setup since his first call up in 2007, when he was promoted from the under-21 squad of whom he captained and had appeared for 30 times.

Dekel is a consistent performer at the heart of Maccabi Haifa’s defence. Fellow teammates look to Dekel for his commanding presence and organizational skills. He is a no-nonsense defender that likes to get stuck in, much in the mold of a traditional English-type centre-half. His mild temperament and professional attitude means Dekel is as respected off the field as he is on it.

As a result of playing in several European campaigns for Haifa and at international level, Dekel has significant experience effectively man-marking some of the best attackers in Europe including the likes of: Didier Drogba, Mario Gomez, David Trezeguet and Peter Crouch.

Dekel has good positional sense and anticipates very well. He is well-timed, strong and brave in the tackle. In addition to a very good leap and exceptional heading ability he is a good decision-maker and is determined.

In August 2010, Dekel completed his long-anticipated move to English Premier League new-boys, Blackpool FC.