From earning an A-Level alongside his football training to overcoming injury and launching a sports recovery business, and now playing in League One, Ben is embracing the challenges ahead, proving that setbacks can be stepping stones to success.
Ben, 21, had moved to the Rams from Burton in the summer of 2023, making a senior appearance when he came on as a substitute in an EFL Trophy match in September 2023. He spent the first half of this season on loan to Gateshead, where he made 17 league appearances and scored twice, before the move to Crawley.
Ben’s football career began at Derby, in their U8s programme, where he spent 4 years until he got released at U12s. Having been told that he “wouldn’t ever play for Derby County”, Ben went on to play for Burton for seven years, earning a scholarship at the age of 16 and his first professional contract at 18. During his scholarship, he balanced football and education, completing an additional A-Level in Business, back at Trent, alongside the compulsory BTEC qualification. “Trent was great in allowing me to come back and do my A Level. Miss Welsby and Mr King were so helpful with me, and alongside my tutor helped me to achieve an A.”
Ben went on to sign his first professional contract and made his League One debut for Burton Albion at the end of that year, before being released 5 days later.
“It was a shock getting released after I’d had a good season, but that’s football. It can be a brutal sport and that’s something that I’m fortunate enough to have learnt from a young age. I’m a massive believer in everything happening for a reason, and I’ll be forever grateful to Burton for giving me the platform to kickstart my career.”
Ben re-signed for Derby later that summer and went on to feature once for the First Team, a special moment for Ben proving his U12’s coach wrong! He also went on to make several bench appearances. However, four months into his Derby career, he suffered a serious hamstring injury which required surgery and kept him out for 5 months.
“Doing my hamstring felt like a disaster at the time, and I missed playing massively. Thankfully Derby has some of the best facilities in the country and my rehab was made easy by the physios there. The injury did allow me to focus on other things though. I committed to gaining muscle and developing in the gym, and I set up a business with a family friend, focusing on sports recovery equipment – something that was very relevant at the time!! It allowed me to completely zone out of the football world and, having a different passion away from football was great for me mentally.”
After getting back from injury, Ben signed a contract extension and joined Gateshead on loan for the first half of this year. After winning player of the month in September and earning two inclusions in Team of the Week, Ben was sold to Crawley Town in League One to link-up with his former manager, where he has started the last 4 games. “For me, it was a massive step forward in my career. To get the chance to prove myself in League One, playing in front of thousands of people every week, I feel it’s the outcome of years of hard work. But again, much like the times I was told I wasn’t good enough, it’s a reset for me. It’s another chance for me to prove myself and that’s when I thrive. I see the pressure as a privilege, and I think that is something that has helped me get to this point. If you don’t feel any pressure to perform, regardless of what area of work you’re in, then you’re not in the right job. Hopefully I can kick on from here and keep on enjoying what I’m doing”
In 2021, Ben won the BBC Young Reporter competition for highlighting mental health in football. Click here to listen to Ben, then aged 17, talk about why he felt it was so important to talk about the importance of mental health awareness, when balancing challenges such as moving away from the familiarity of school and friends with the rigours of training all in pursuit of a professional football career.
