It is any basketball fan's dream – to write a column about the sport's winners and losers for a national newspaper.

But for Gilad Shalit, it will also mark his first professional role after nearly six years as a prisoner of Hamas terrorists.

Eight months after the former captive was freed and returned home to Israel, he has been hired by Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper to become its new basketball pundit. Among his duties will be to cover the chances of Maccabi Tel Aviv, the team he himself supports.

He will soon be off to the US to write about the NBA finals, one of the most prestigious events in the sport's calendar.

Earlier this year he visited Florida to attend an NBA All-Star game.