Ben Wilkinson
Alistair Benjamin Wilkinson (born 25 April 1987), better known as Ben Wilkinson, is a former professional footballer and is currently working at Manchester City's academy. He played as a midfielder for Hull City, Harrogate Town, Gretna, York City, Altrincham, Chester City, Tamworth and Boston United.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alistair Benjamin Wilkinson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 25 April 1987[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Sheffield, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Manchester City U-23 (Assistant Manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Sheffield Wednesday | |||
| Sheffield United | |||
| 2003–2005 | Derby County | ||
| 2005–2006 | Hull City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2008 | Hull City | 0 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | → Harrogate Town (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2008 | → Gretna (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | York City | 21 | (2) |
| 2009 | → Altrincham (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Chester City | 0 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | Tamworth | 28 | (2) |
| 2011 | Boston United | 8 | (0) |
| Total | 82 | (4) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Playing career
Early career
Born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire,[3] Wilkinson is the son of former player and manager Howard Wilkinson.[4] He played with the youth teams of Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United and Derby County,[5] becoming a scholar with the latter in May 2003.[6] He joined Hull City in January 2005, where he completed his scholarship.[7] He signed a two-year professional contract with Hull in the summer of 2006.[2] He joined Conference North club Harrogate Town on 9 December 2006 on a one-month loan,[8] where he made five appearances[9] before returning to Hull in January 2007.[10]
Wilkinson went on trial with York City of the Conference National in January 2008, in which he scored two goals in a reserve-team match against Sheffield United.[4] On 31 January 2008, he joined Gretna of the Scottish Premier League on loan until the end of the 2007–08 season.[11] He made his debut in a 2–0 away defeat against Heart of Midlothian on 9 February 2008 and made 13 appearances for the club.[12]
York City
He joined Conference Premier club York City on 10 June 2008 on a two-year contract.[13][14] His debut came in a 1–0 away win against Crawley Town on 9 August 2008.[15] He scored his first goal in a 3–1 defeat away to Wrexham on 7 October 2008.[15][16]
On 26 March 2009, Wilkinson joined York's Conference Premier rivals Altrincham on loan until the end of 2008–09.[14] He made his debut two days later, coming on as a 90th-minute substitute in a 2–2 home draw with Crawley Town, and started in the subsequent match, a 1–0 away defeat to Ebbsfleet United.[17][18] He finished the spell with nine appearances.[17] He left York on 2 July 2009 after his contract was cancelled by mutual consent.[19]
Chester City
Wilkinson signed for newly relegated Conference Premier club Chester City on 9 July 2009.[20] Wilkinson scored in the first minute of his debut against Cambridge United on 15 August 2009, but Chester lost 4–2.[21] He made 28 appearances for Chester in 2009–10,[22] although these were expunged from the records after Chester were expelled from the Football Conference in March 2010.[23] He left the club following their liquidation on 10 March 2010[24][25] and in April went on trial with League Two club Bradford City, playing in reserve-team matches against Newcastle United and Leeds United.[26]
Tamworth
Wilkinson signed for Conference Premier club Tamworth on 26 August 2010 following a trial.[27] His first goal came in a 1–0 away win over Mansfield Town,[28] with a shot into the bottom corner from six yards from Danny Thomas' pass on 30 minutes.[29] Wilkinson scored a goal against York in a 2–1 away win on 16 April 2011 to help Tamworth fight relegation.[30]
Boston United
Wilkinson signed for Conference North club Boston United on 30 July 2011 after a trial,[31][32] having been set to follow former Tamworth players Aaron Mitchell and Jason Bradley to Eastwood Town.[33] He found himself out of the team early in 2011–12 because of a knee injury but later established himself at right back due to a shortage in that position.[34] He left Boston on 7 November 2011[35] after making 10 appearances for the club.[36]
Coaching career
By November 2013, Wilkinson had taken on the position of youth development phase coach at Sheffield Wednesday.[37]
He joined Manchester City’s academy in July 2018 as Under 23 Assistant Coach to Paul Harsley. In August 2020, he moved into a role as Under 16 Lead Coach.[38]
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Hull City | 2006–07[39] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| 2007–08[12] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Harrogate Town (loan) | 2006–07[9] | Conference North | 3 | 0 | — | — | 2[a] | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| Gretna (loan) | 2007–08[12] | Scottish Premier League | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | 13 | 0 | |||
| York City | 2008–09[15] | Conference Premier | 21 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 2[b] | 0 | 25 | 2 | |
| Altrincham (loan) | 2008–09[17] | Conference Premier | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | 9 | 0 | |||
| Tamworth | 2010–11[28] | Conference Premier | 28 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 1[a] | 0 | 31 | 2 | |
| Boston United | 2011–12[36] | Conference North | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 82 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 93 | 4 | ||
References
- ^ (PDF). The Football Association. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2014.
- ^ a b c . Hull City A.F.C. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008.
- ^ "B. Wilkinson". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
- ^ a b "A City family affair for Ben and Howard". The Press. York. 24 January 2008. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
- ^ "York City: Minstermen set for energy boost". Yorkshire Evening Post. Leeds. 16 June 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
- ^ "Welcome on board". Derby County F.C. 23 May 2003. Retrieved 26 April 2011.[dead link]
- ^ "Holmes loan extended". Derby County F.C. 24 January 2005. Retrieved 26 April 2011.[dead link]
- ^ Beill, Andy (24 July 2008). "2006 transfers". Hull City Online. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
- ^ a b Williams, Mike; Williams, Tony, eds. (2007). Non-League Club Directory 2008. Kingsbridge: Tony Williams Publications. pp. 214–215. ISBN 978-1-869833-57-2.
- ^ . Hull City A.F.C. 3 January 2007. Archived from the original on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
- ^ "Gretna lose Caig, add Wilkinson". BBC Sport. 31 January 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
- ^ a b c "Games played by Ben Wilkinson in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
- ^ Kelly, Tony (11 June 2008). "Midfield versatility of new signings cheers City manager". The Press. York. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
- ^ a b Flett, Dave (27 March 2009). "Manager Martin Foyle warns York City they must do it for themselves". The Press. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
- ^ a b c Williams, Tony; Wright, James, eds. (2009). Non-League Club Directory 2010. Tony Williams Publications. pp. 162–163. ISBN 978-1-869833-66-4.
- ^ "Wrexham 3–1 York". BBC Sport. 7 October 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
- ^ a b c Williams; Wright (eds.). Non-League Club Directory 2010. pp. 34–35.
- ^ "Altrincham 2–2 Crawley". BBC Sport. 28 March 2009. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
- ^ Flett, Dave (2 July 2009). "York City part company with Ben Wilkinson". The Press. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
- ^ . Chester Chronicle. 9 July 2009. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012.
- ^ . Chester Chronicle. 15 August 2009. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012.
- ^ "Season 2009/2010". Sportbox.tv. Retrieved 26 April 2011.[dead link]
- ^ "Chester City results erased from Blue Square Premier". BBC Sport. 8 March 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
- ^ "Lambs swoop for former Chester City man". Tamworth Herald. 27 August 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Chester City wound up in High Court". BBC Sport. 10 March 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
- ^ . Bradford City A.F.C. 15 April 2010. Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
- ^ "Tamworth complete Ben Wilkinson deal". BBC Sport. 26 August 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
- ^ a b Williams, Mike; Williams, Tony, eds. (2011). Non-League Club Directory 2012. Tony Williams Publications. pp. 144–145. ISBN 978-1-869833-70-1.
- ^ "Mansfield Town 0–1 Tamworth". BBC Sport. 4 September 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
- ^ "York 1–2 Tamworth". BBC Sport. 16 April 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
- ^ "Boston United's Ben Wilkinson wants to become a chip off the old block". Boston Standard. 4 August 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
- ^ "Wilkinson aims to follow in his father's footsteps". Boston Standard. 30 July 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
- ^ "Perry moves to the Imps". Tamworth F.C. 8 July 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
- ^ "Browne on the ball: A hair-raising family experience for Wilkinson". Boston Standard. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
- ^ "Boston's Jason Lee unhappy with poor second-half display". BBC Sport. 7 November 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
- ^ a b Williams, Mike; Williams, Tony, eds. (2012). Non-League Club Directory 2013. Tony Williams Publications. pp. 174–175. ISBN 978-1-869833-77-0.
- ^ "Howard's way". Sheffield Wednesday F.C. 27 November 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
- ^ "Ben Wilkinson- Linkedin".
- ^ "Games played by Ben Wilkinson in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
External links
- Ben Wilkinson at Soccerbase