Ben Collett

Infobox Football biography
playername= Ben Collett


fullname = Benjamin Collett
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1984|9|11
cityofbirth = Bury
countryofbirth = England
height = convert|1.75|m|ftin|abbr=on
currentclub =
position = Midfielder
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 2002–2006
2006
2006–2007
clubs = Manchester United
New Zealand Knights
AGOVV Apeldoorn
caps(goals) = 00 (0)
18 (0)
32 (0)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =

Benjamin "Ben" Collett (born 11 September 1984 in Bury, England) is a former English association footballer who played as a central midfielder for Manchester United, New Zealand Knights and AGOVV Apeldoorn. Collett joined AGOVV from now-defunct A-League club the New Zealand Knights in 2006 after being released from Manchester United, where he was a trainee. During his time at Manchester United, Collett received the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award following the triumph in the FA Youth Cup in which he scored a goal in the first leg of the final at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland.

Collett never fully recovered from breaking his leg in two places following a tackle by Gary Smith of Middlesbrough during a reserve team game while at Manchester United, and the injury subsequently forced him to retire from football. [http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/1051204_injured_star_in_payout_battle Injured star in pay-out battle] , Manchester Evening News, May 26 2008]

In 2008, he won a lawsuit against Middlesbrough and Gary Smith, and was awarded an initial sum of £4.3 million in compensation, with the total "unlikely to be less than £4.5 million". [cite news |title=Man Utd player wins £4.5m payout |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7553678.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=2008-08-11 |accessdate=2008-08-11 ] Sir Alex Ferguson, Brian McClair, Howard Wilkinson and Gary Neville attended the hearing, where they claimed that Collett was an "A-Class" footballer and had every chance of being a first team regular at Manchester United and a household name. [cite news |title=Footballer awaits damages claim over career-ending Boro tackle |url=http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/display.var.2380808.0.footballer_awaits_damages_claim_over_careerending_boro_tackle.php |date=2008-07-04 |accessdate=2008-07-05 |publisher=The Northern Echo ]

References