Ryan Bennett (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Ryan Bennett is an English
footballer who plays for Peterborough United
and currently represents England U21
as a defender
. He has previously played for and captained Grimsby Town
.
born Bennett, came to prominence in 2006 when Grimsby Town
's youth team manager at the time, Neil Woods
swooped to sign him after he was let go by the youth setup at Ipswich Town
. Initially joining the club as part of the youth team midway through the 2006–07 campaign, he was soon promoted to the first team, managed at the time by Alan Buckley
. Bennett would make his professional debut as an 88th minute substitute, replacing Danny Boshell
in a 2–1 win over Milton Keynes Dons
in April 2007. 21 days later he became the club's youngest ever captain, aged only 17 years old when Grimsby's all time record appearance holder John McDermott passed him the skippers armband after being substituted in the local derby with Lincoln City
. In the summer of 2007 Bennett had re-established himself as one of the clubs favoured centre halfs, and in this he was handed the number 5 shirt for the coming season, which had previously been worn by such 'luminaries' as Tony Crane
and Ben Futcher
. He scored his first goal in professional football on the opening day of the 2007–08
season when his header from six yards opened the scoring in the 1–1 draw with Notts County
at Blundell Park
. In that same season, Bennett largely was favoured in the place of club captain Justin Whittle
in the heart of Town's defence, and he went on to play in the clubs Football League Trophy
final defeat too Milton Keynes Dons at Wembley Stadium
. In May 2008, Bennett was given the "Supporters Young Player of the year" for the 2007–2008 season. With the appointment of Mike Newell
as first team manager in October 2008, Bennett was handed the captain's arm-band for the remainder of the 2008–2009 campaign aged only 18. This was down too the fact that that new signing Matthew Heywood
, who had also been designated the new club captain had fallen out of favour following several unconvincing performances, and Newell had preferred a youthful back pairing of Bennett and Rob Atkinson
to the veteran duo of Heywood and Richard Hope
. Bennett was ever present for the club during the 2008–09 season, and his consistently solid performances throughout a very difficult season for Grimsby saw Bennett win firstly the PFA Player of the Month for February, which would eventually be followed by several club accolades. He swept the board at the GTFC Player of the Year ceremony in May 2009, claiming the "Supporters Player of the Year" award, ~"Supporters Young Player of the year" as well as many other minor awards. Newell made repeated reference to Bennett's professionalism and maturity, and his unflappable playing style in particular was impressive for such a young defender, whilst his height made him an asset at set pieces. Also Bennett was described as comfortable on the ball. On 13 May 2009, Grimsby were reported to have turned down a bid from Peterborough United
after United's Director of Football
Barry Fry
publicly revealed that The Mariners had politely turned down a proposed move, mentioning that Grimsby said 'thanks for the interest but we wouldn't sell him for £1m'. On 13 June, United stepped up in their aim to sign Bennett, and offered Grimsby a largely superior offer to there previous one. Grimsby chairman John Fenty
rejected the offer three days later mentioning that he did not feel it was in the clubs best interest to let Bennett go. A week later Bennett confirmed he would be staying with Grimsby for the unforseable future by signing a new four-year deal to keep him at Blundell Park
until the end of the 2012–13 season.
on 23 October 2009 on an initial three-month loan deal with a view to a permanent move. Grimsby chairman John Fenty
had a change of heart, and following a slow start to the season for his club, he decided to cash in on the Town skipper literally only days after sacking manager Mike Newell
. Posh manager Darren Ferguson
said of the transfer: "Ryan is an excellent signing for us, he has potential and fits in with our policy of bringing good, young players to the football club". Bennett made his loan at London Road
permanent on 23 January 2010, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract, with Grimsby reportedly receiving £500,000, possibly rising to £1 million.
side that faced Austria at Victoria Park
on 16 April 2008. It was his first England call-up. He played the full game in the 2–0 victory. On the 29th September 2011 Stuart pearce
gave him his first call-up to the England U21
after he impressed him in the home win against Burnley. On the 10th of October Bennett made his international under 21 debut in the 2-1 win away against Norway under-21
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
footballer who plays for Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
and currently represents England U21
England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
as a defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
. He has previously played for and captained Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
.
Grimsby Town
OrsettOrsett
Orsett is a village and ecclesiastical parish located within Thurrock unitary district in Essex, England, situated around 5 km north-east of Grays...
born Bennett, came to prominence in 2006 when Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
's youth team manager at the time, Neil Woods
Neil Woods
Neil Stephen Woods is a former English footballer who played as a striker and former manager of Grimsby Town where he also played between 1990 and 1998. He now works as the Head of Youth at Football League One side Walsall...
swooped to sign him after he was let go by the youth setup at Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
. Initially joining the club as part of the youth team midway through the 2006–07 campaign, he was soon promoted to the first team, managed at the time by Alan Buckley
Alan Buckley
Alan Peter Buckley is an English football manager. He was manager of League Two side Grimsby Town until his dismissal in September 2008...
. Bennett would make his professional debut as an 88th minute substitute, replacing Danny Boshell
Danny Boshell
Daniel Kevin "Danny" Boshell is an English football player who currently plays for Conference North club Guiseley AFC. Boshell played in the Football League notably for Grimsby Town where he made 118 appearances in all competitions...
in a 2–1 win over Milton Keynes Dons
Milton Keynes Dons F.C.
.Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...
in April 2007. 21 days later he became the club's youngest ever captain, aged only 17 years old when Grimsby's all time record appearance holder John McDermott passed him the skippers armband after being substituted in the local derby with Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
. In the summer of 2007 Bennett had re-established himself as one of the clubs favoured centre halfs, and in this he was handed the number 5 shirt for the coming season, which had previously been worn by such 'luminaries' as Tony Crane
Tony Crane
Anthony Steven "Tony" Crane is a former English footballer. He notably played as a professional for Sheffield Wednesday and Grimsby Town and was active between 1999 and 2009. His original position was in the centre of midfield, but he later became utilised as a defender. During his time with...
and Ben Futcher
Ben Futcher
Benjamin Paul "Ben" Futcher is an English professional footballer currently playing for Mansfield Town on loan from Bury. He notably played for Lincoln City between 2002 and 2005 where he played in two play-off finals...
. He scored his first goal in professional football on the opening day of the 2007–08
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
season when his header from six yards opened the scoring in the 1–1 draw with Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
at Blundell Park
Blundell Park
Blundell Park is a football ground in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England and home to Grimsby Town Football Club. The stadium was built in 1898, but only one of the original stands remain. The current capacity of the ground is 9546, though with the introduction of all seating in the late...
. In that same season, Bennett largely was favoured in the place of club captain Justin Whittle
Justin Whittle
Justin Whittle is a former English professional footballer who played as a defender from 1994 until 2011.As a player he notably captained Humberside clubs Hull City and Grimsby Town. He also appeared for Celtic where he started his career in 1994 before moving on to Stoke City...
in the heart of Town's defence, and he went on to play in the clubs Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
final defeat too Milton Keynes Dons at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
. In May 2008, Bennett was given the "Supporters Young Player of the year" for the 2007–2008 season. With the appointment of Mike Newell
Mike Newell (footballer)
Michael Colin "Mike" Newell is an English football manager and former professional footballer. As a player he notably was a member of the Blackburn Rovers team which won the Premier League in 1995, as well also playing for Crewe Alexandra, Wigan Athletic, Luton Town, Leicester City, Everton,...
as first team manager in October 2008, Bennett was handed the captain's arm-band for the remainder of the 2008–2009 campaign aged only 18. This was down too the fact that that new signing Matthew Heywood
Matthew Heywood
Matthew Stephen Heywood is a professional footballer who plays as a Defender and is currently without a club....
, who had also been designated the new club captain had fallen out of favour following several unconvincing performances, and Newell had preferred a youthful back pairing of Bennett and Rob Atkinson
Robert Atkinson (footballer)
Robert Guy "Rob" Atkinson is an English footballer who plays for Fleetwood Town as a defender. He has previously played for Barnsley, Scarborough, Halifax Town, Rochdale and Grimsby Town.-Barnsley:...
to the veteran duo of Heywood and Richard Hope
Richard Hope
Richard Paul Hope is an English former footballer who played as a defender. He played for Darlington, Northampton Town, York City, Chester City and Shrewsbury Town, Wrexham and Grimsby Town, making over 350 appearances in the Football League.-Blackburn Rovers:Born in Stockton-on-Tees, Hope began...
. Bennett was ever present for the club during the 2008–09 season, and his consistently solid performances throughout a very difficult season for Grimsby saw Bennett win firstly the PFA Player of the Month for February, which would eventually be followed by several club accolades. He swept the board at the GTFC Player of the Year ceremony in May 2009, claiming the "Supporters Player of the Year" award, ~"Supporters Young Player of the year" as well as many other minor awards. Newell made repeated reference to Bennett's professionalism and maturity, and his unflappable playing style in particular was impressive for such a young defender, whilst his height made him an asset at set pieces. Also Bennett was described as comfortable on the ball. On 13 May 2009, Grimsby were reported to have turned down a bid from Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
after United's Director of Football
Director of football
"Director of football" is a term describing a senior management figure at a football club, most commonly used in Europe. The exact nature of the role is often unclear and extremely variable and causes much debate in the sports media...
Barry Fry
Barry Fry
Barry Francis Fry is an English football manager. A former Manchester United apprentice as a winger, his playing career involved brief spells with Bolton Wanderers, Luton Town and Leyton Orient, before he retired prematurely due to injury.He has managed Dunstable Town, Bedford Town, Maidstone...
publicly revealed that The Mariners had politely turned down a proposed move, mentioning that Grimsby said 'thanks for the interest but we wouldn't sell him for £1m'. On 13 June, United stepped up in their aim to sign Bennett, and offered Grimsby a largely superior offer to there previous one. Grimsby chairman John Fenty
John Fenty
John Shelton Fenty born is a Conservative councillor for the Humberston and New Waltham ward of North East Lincolnshire Council.-Business:...
rejected the offer three days later mentioning that he did not feel it was in the clubs best interest to let Bennett go. A week later Bennett confirmed he would be staying with Grimsby for the unforseable future by signing a new four-year deal to keep him at Blundell Park
Blundell Park
Blundell Park is a football ground in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England and home to Grimsby Town Football Club. The stadium was built in 1898, but only one of the original stands remain. The current capacity of the ground is 9546, though with the introduction of all seating in the late...
until the end of the 2012–13 season.
Peterborough United
Bennett eventually did a u-turn and signed for Peterborough UnitedPeterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
on 23 October 2009 on an initial three-month loan deal with a view to a permanent move. Grimsby chairman John Fenty
John Fenty
John Shelton Fenty born is a Conservative councillor for the Humberston and New Waltham ward of North East Lincolnshire Council.-Business:...
had a change of heart, and following a slow start to the season for his club, he decided to cash in on the Town skipper literally only days after sacking manager Mike Newell
Mike Newell (footballer)
Michael Colin "Mike" Newell is an English football manager and former professional footballer. As a player he notably was a member of the Blackburn Rovers team which won the Premier League in 1995, as well also playing for Crewe Alexandra, Wigan Athletic, Luton Town, Leicester City, Everton,...
. Posh manager Darren Ferguson
Darren Ferguson
Darren Ferguson is a Scottish football manager and former player, currently in his second spell as the manager of Peterborough United...
said of the transfer: "Ryan is an excellent signing for us, he has potential and fits in with our policy of bringing good, young players to the football club". Bennett made his loan at London Road
London Road
-England:There are countless London Roads in the UK. Only those significant outside their local area are listed here:* London Road, Brighton; for which a railway station is named* London Road, Guildford; for which a railway station is named...
permanent on 23 January 2010, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract, with Grimsby reportedly receiving £500,000, possibly rising to £1 million.
Personal life
In the break between the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons, his long-term girlfriend, who he has been with since he joined Grimsby, gave birth to the couple's first son.International career
Bennett was called up for the England under-18England national under-18 football team
-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the friendly match against Slovakia.-Recent call-ups:The following players have also been called up to the England under-18 squad and remain eligible.-References:...
side that faced Austria at Victoria Park
Victoria Park
- In Australia :New South Wales* Victoria Park Nature Reserve, a protected area in New South Wales* Victoria Park, Sydney, a park in the capital city of New South Wales* Victoria Park Racecourse, Sydney, a closed racecourseSouth Australia...
on 16 April 2008. It was his first England call-up. He played the full game in the 2–0 victory. On the 29th September 2011 Stuart pearce
Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce OBE is an English football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the England national under-21 team and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team...
gave him his first call-up to the England U21
England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
after he impressed him in the home win against Burnley. On the 10th of October Bennett made his international under 21 debut in the 2-1 win away against Norway under-21
Norway national under-21 football team
The Norwegian national under-21 football team, controlled by the Football Association of Norway, is the national football team of Norway for players of 21 years of age or under at the start of a UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship campaign...
.
Grimsby Town
- Football League TrophyFootball League TrophyThe Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
runner up: 2007–082007-08 in English footballThe 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool... - Supporters Young Player Of The Year: Winner, 2008, 2009
- Football League Awards 2008 Apprentice of the year
- PFA Player Of The Month for February 2009
- Supporters Player Of The Year: Winner, 2009
Peterborough United
- 2010–112010–11 in English footballThe 2010–11 season was the 131st season of competitive football in England.The season began on 6 August 2010 for the Football Leagues, with the Premier League and Football Conference both starting eight days later on 14 August 2010. The Championship, League One, and League Two ended on 7 May...
: League OneFootball League OneFootball League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
Play Off Winner (promotion to The ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
)