Ian Michael Bennett (born 10 October 1971) is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Sheffield United.

[edit] Playing career

[edit] QPR, Newcastle and Peterborough

Bennett, born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, started his football career as a YTS trainee with Queens Park Rangers in 1988. He turned professional with Newcastle United in March of the same season. However, without making a single first-team appearance for either club, he signed for Peterborough United in March 1991, where he played 72 league games.^[1]

[edit] Birmingham City

Barry Fry signed Bennett for Birmingham City for £325,000 in December 1993. He became the first-choice goalkeeper at Birmingham, and in the 1994–95 season, he was ever-present as the club won the Division Two (third tier) title.^[1] for the next five years, making 287 league appearances, before, eventually losing his number one position to Kevin Poole in September 1998 due to injury.^[2]

However, Poole also succumbed to injury, enabling Bennett to return to the team until the 1999-00 season, when he was again plagued with injury this time being consistently replaced by Norwegian Thomas Myhre for the last two months of the campaign.^[3] A rare highlight of that season occurred during the League Cup when he saved a penalty for Birmingham taken by Alan Shearer.^[3] He made some fine saves in a losing cause in the 2001 Football League Cup Final against Liverpool.^[4]

Although the signings of Nico Vaesen in summer 2000 and Maik Taylor three years later meant that he was not able to play in goal for as many games as he wanted, Bennett still made his 350th Birmingham appearance against Aston Villa in the 2003–04 season.^[3]

In late 2004 he was loaned out to Sheffield United where he impressed manager Neil Warnock in the five games he played as cover for the injured Paddy Kenny.^[5] After this he was loaned to Coventry City. During his loan spell, he became the only goalkeeper to be sent off in a competitive league match at Highfield Road,^{[citation needed]} sent off in the 0–0 draw at home with Stoke City.^[6]

[edit] Leeds United

On June 17, 2005, after 12 years at Birmingham, Bennett transferred to Leeds United who already had Scottish international goalkeeper Neil Sullivan as first-choice goalkeeper. Despite playing the pre-season friendlies, he was limited to four league appearances during the 2005-06 season, obtained deputising for the injured Sullivan.

[edit] Sheffield United

In July 2006, Bennett transferred for an undisclosed fee to newly promoted Sheffield United of the Premiership, signing on a two-year deal to provide competition to the Blades first-choice goalkeeper, Paddy Kenny.^[7] He played the first game of his second spell at the club at Bramall Lane against Reading on September 16, 2006^[8]. Despite making his full debut Bennett found first team chances difficult to come by thanks to the fitness and form of Paddy Kenny, making only nine starts in his first two seasons at Bramall Lane. His contract expired at the end of the 2007/08 season but despite reported interest from other clubs he signed a new one year deal in July.^[9]

The following season again saw his first team opportunities limited to only two league starts and appearances the League and FA cups. Despite this he was offered another one year contract extension during the 2009 close season.^[10]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Ian Bennett player profile at sufc.co.uk
• Ian Bennett career stats at Soccerbase