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.

For the British poet, academic, and critic, see Ben Wilkinson (poet).

Ben Wilkinson
Wilkinson in 2011
Personal information
Full name Alistair Benjamin Wilkinson[1]
Date of birth (1987-04-25) 25 April 1987[2]
Place of birth Sheffield, England
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team 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
Wilkinson playing for York City in 2008

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
Wilkinson playing for Tamworth in 2011
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Hull City 2006–07[39] Championship 000000—00
2007–08[12] Championship 0000000000
Total 0000000000
Harrogate Town (loan) 2006–07[9] Conference North 30——2[lower-alpha 1]050
Gretna (loan) 2007–08[12] Scottish Premier League 130———130
York City 2008–09[15] Conference Premier 21220—2[lower-alpha 2]0252
Altrincham (loan) 2008–09[17] Conference Premier 90———90
Tamworth 2010–11[28] Conference Premier 28220—1[lower-alpha 1]0312
Boston United 2011–12[36] Conference North 8020——100
Career total 824600050934
  1. Appearance(s) in FA Trophy
  2. One appearance in Conference League Cup, one in FA Trophy

References
  1. "List of Players under Written Contract Registered Between 01/09/2010 and 30/09/2010" (PDF). The Football Association. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2014.
  2. "Profiles: Ben Wilkinson". Hull City A.F.C. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008.
  3. "B. Wilkinson". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  4. "A City family affair for Ben and Howard". The Press. York. 24 January 2008. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  5. "York City: Minstermen set for energy boost". Yorkshire Evening Post. Leeds. 16 June 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  6. "Welcome on board". Derby County F.C. 23 May 2003. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  7. "Holmes loan extended". Derby County F.C. 24 January 2005. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  8. Beill, Andy (24 July 2008). "2006 transfers". Hull City Online. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  9. Williams, Mike; Williams, Tony, eds. (2007). Non-League Club Directory 2008. Kingsbridge: Tony Williams Publications. pp. 214–215. ISBN 978-1-869833-57-2.
  10. "Player update". Hull City A.F.C. 3 January 2007. Archived from the original on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  11. "Gretna lose Caig, add Wilkinson". BBC Sport. 31 January 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  12. "Games played by Ben Wilkinson in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  13. Kelly, Tony (11 June 2008). "Midfield versatility of new signings cheers City manager". The Press. York. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  14. Flett, Dave (27 March 2009). "Manager Martin Foyle warns York City they must do it for themselves". The Press. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  15. Williams, Tony; Wright, James, eds. (2009). Non-League Club Directory 2010. Tony Williams Publications. pp. 162–163. ISBN 978-1-869833-66-4.
  16. "Wrexham 3–1 York". BBC Sport. 7 October 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  17. Williams; Wright (eds.). Non-League Club Directory 2010. pp. 34–35.
  18. "Altrincham 2–2 Crawley". BBC Sport. 28 March 2009. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  19. Flett, Dave (2 July 2009). "York City part company with Ben Wilkinson". The Press. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  20. "Chester City FC: Mick Wadsworth signs four more". Chester Chronicle. 9 July 2009. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012.
  21. "Chester City 2 Cambridge United 4". Chester Chronicle. 15 August 2009. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012.
  22. "Season 2009/2010". Sportbox.tv. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  23. "Chester City results erased from Blue Square Premier". BBC Sport. 8 March 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  24. "Lambs swoop for former Chester City man". Tamworth Herald. 27 August 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  25. "Chester City wound up in High Court". BBC Sport. 10 March 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  26. "Leeds United 3 Bradford City 0 – Reserves report". Bradford City A.F.C. 15 April 2010. Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  27. "Tamworth complete Ben Wilkinson deal". BBC Sport. 26 August 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  28. Williams, Mike; Williams, Tony, eds. (2011). Non-League Club Directory 2012. Tony Williams Publications. pp. 144–145. ISBN 978-1-869833-70-1.
  29. "Mansfield Town 0–1 Tamworth". BBC Sport. 4 September 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  30. "York 1–2 Tamworth". BBC Sport. 16 April 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  31. "Boston United's Ben Wilkinson wants to become a chip off the old block". Boston Standard. 4 August 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
  32. "Wilkinson aims to follow in his father's footsteps". Boston Standard. 30 July 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
  33. "Perry moves to the Imps". Tamworth F.C. 8 July 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  34. "Browne on the ball: A hair-raising family experience for Wilkinson". Boston Standard. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
  35. "Boston's Jason Lee unhappy with poor second-half display". BBC Sport. 7 November 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  36. Williams, Mike; Williams, Tony, eds. (2012). Non-League Club Directory 2013. Tony Williams Publications. pp. 174–175. ISBN 978-1-869833-77-0.
  37. "Howard's way". Sheffield Wednesday F.C. 27 November 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  38. "Ben Wilkinson- Linkedin".
  39. "Games played by Ben Wilkinson in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
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