Neil Benjamin

Neil Tevin Michael Benjamin, Jr. (born 20 August 1994) is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a winger for TT Pro League club W Connection.

Neil Benjamin
Personal information
Full name Neil Tevin Michael Benjamin Jr.
Date of birth (1994-08-20) 20 August 1994
Place of birth Couva, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Winger / Forward
Club information
Current team
 Nam Định F.C
Youth career
2001–2010 W Connection
2010 Naparima College
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2018 W Connection 28 (5)
2018 Nam Định F.C 7 (1)
National team‡
2010–2011 Trinidad and Tobago U17 6 (0)
2012 Trinidad and Tobago U20 3 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23 May 2014
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 12 August 2012

Benjamin began his professional football career in 2011, at the age of 17, with W Connection in his native Trinidad and Tobago. During his time with the Savonetta Boys, Benjamin has won the TT Pro League title twice and the FA Trophy in 2013–14.

Early life

Benjamin was born in Couva, Trinidad and Tobago, to parents Neil Sr. and Charlene.[1] In primary school, Neil discovered at an early age that he had a talent for his speed on the track. However, his focus would soon transition to football and credits his father and uncles, Glen and St. Nicholas, for his passion for the sport. At the age of 7, Benjamin enrolled in the youth program at TT Pro League club W Connection – based in his hometown of Couva.

Benjamin attended Naparima College in San Fernando, Trinidad and led the team to the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) South Zone title in 2010.[2] He later scored the lone goal in a 3–1 loss to St. Augustine Secondary, which witnessed Naps eliminated from the national Intercol Big Five competition.[3][4] In 2011, Benjamin was the joint-leading goal scorer with 10 goals in the under-17 reserve league while playing for W Connection and was named the most valuable player in the under-18 reserve league the following season.[5]

Club career

W Connection

After several seasons in the club's youth program, Benjamin was promoted to the first-team in 2011, at the age of 17, with W Connection of the TT Pro League. Prior to his professional football debut with the Savonetta Boys, Benjamin and former Naparima College teammate Shahdon Winchester received a ten-day trial with FC Dallas of Major League Soccer in June 2011.[6] Upon his return to Trinidad and Tobago, Neil featured in five league matches and took part in the club's fourth Pro League championship. Following the season, Benjamin helped W Connection finish runners-up in the 2012 CFU Club Championship and earn a place in the 2012–13 CONCACAF Champions League.[7]

In September 2012, Benjamin traveled to Italy for a trial with Serie A club Genoa.[8] During his first week, he drew serious interest from Genoa after impressing the club with his speed and had his stay extended.[9] However, the trial proved unsuccessful and Neil was ultimately released to rejoin W Connection in November. Afterwards, Benjamin went on to enjoy an active second season with the Savonetta Boys after scoring four league goals and five in all competitions, including his first career hat-trick as a professional in a 4–0 win over eventual Pro League champions Defence Force on 6 May 2013.[10]

Neil opened the 2013–14 season as a regular substitute for W Connection playing primarily as a right-wing forward. During the 2013–14 CONCACAF Champions League, Benjamin made appearances in each of the Savonetta Boys' four group stage matches. On 8 August 2013, he came on for Mekeil Williams in the 62nd minute and later scored W Connection's lone goal of the competition in a 3–1 loss to Árabe Unido.[11] Two weeks later, Benjamin started in a scoreless draw at home against the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer. During the match, Neil had two late match-winning opportunities with one "horrific" open net miss and another shot hitting the crossbar.[12] Benjamin later had an impressive series of performances in the TOYOTA Classic and FA Trophy competitions.[13] On 18 December, he was named the most valuable player of the FA Trophy final after scoring the tying goal to send the match into a penalty shootout and lead the Savonetta Boys to the club's first FA Trophy crown in 11 years.[14] Afterwards, Benjamin experienced a dip in form with his lone league goal scored on 10 January 2014 in a narrow 2–1 win over Police.[15] He concluded his third season with W Connection with a string of substitute appearances to help lead the club to its fifth Pro League title and second in three years.[16]

International career

Benjamin has represented Trinidad and Tobago on various levels of international competition, having been capped for the under-17[17] and under-20 national teams.[18]

Youth teams

He began his international career for the under-17 team during qualification for the 2011 CONCACAF U-17 Championship, where he made two starts in the midfield for the Soca Warriors against Cuba and Saint Kitts and Nevis.[19][20] He made a further second-half substitute appearance in the team's final group match against Bermuda to help Trinidad and Tobago top their qualification group.[21] In February 2011, during the continental competition, Benjamin started in consecutive matches against Jamaica and Guatemala.[22][23] However, in the quarterfinals, the Young Warriors were eliminated from the competition following a 2–0 defeat to Canada.[24]

In August 2012, Benjamin made consecutive starts as a defender for the under-20 team during their first round of qualification for the 2013 CONCACAF U-20 Championship.[18][25] However, he was forced to miss the Soca Warriors' win against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines after receiving two yellow cards in each of the previous two matches.[26] In November 2012, under-20 team managers Hutson Charles and Ross Russell complained to Benjamin's parent club W Connection concerning the timing of the player's trial with Serie A club Genoa and subsequent decline in form on international duty.[27] As a result, Benjamin was left out of the squad for the team's final round of qualification.[28]

Career statistics

Club
As of 23 May 2014
Club Season League Cup League Cup[lower-alpha 1] Continental[lower-alpha 2] Other[lower-alpha 3] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
W Connection 2011–12 TT Pro League 5000200030100
2012–13 9400510010155
2013–14 141321214110345
Total 2853219241505910
Career total 2853219241505910
  1. Includes appearances in the Trinidad and Tobago's Classic, Goal Shield, and Pro Bowl
  2. Includes appearances in the CONCACAF Champions League
  3. Includes appearances in the Trinidad and Tobago Charity Shield and CFU Club Championship

References
  1. Lasana Liburd (24 April 2014). "One-on-one with Neil Benjamin Jr". Wired868.com. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  2. Randy Bando (17 October 2010). "Caps retains Central crown". Trinidad Guardian. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  3. Kern DeFreitas (26 October 2010). "'Green Machine' power into Big Five final". T&T Express. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  4. Kern DeFreitas (11 November 2010). "Naps blank Shiva 2-0 to take South InterCol". T&T Express. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  5. Kern DeFreitas (9 March 2013). "Army rule at belated Pro League awards". T&T Express. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  6. Randy Bando (29 April 2010). "Connection's Winchester, Benjamin Jr. for Dallas trial". TTProLeague.com. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  7. Randy Bando (22 June 2012). "Caledonia pips Connection for CFU Club Championship title". TTProLeague.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  8. Lasana Liburd (12 November 2012). "W Connection fires back at national coaches". Wired868.com. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  9. Nigel Simon (14 November 2012). "John-Williams defends W Connection policy". Trinidad Guardian. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  10. Randy Bando (7 May 2013). "Benjamin trick ruins Defence Force's Digicel Pro League Championship celebrations". TTProLeague.com. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  11. Nigel Simon (T&T Guardian) (9 August 2013). "Ward scores 2 goals in Arabe Unido's 3-1 victory over W Connection". Soca Warriors Online. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  12. Darrell Lovell (MLSsoccer.com) (20 August 2013). "Houston Dynamo admit they're lucky not to leave Trinidad with loss". HoustonDynamo.com. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  13. Lasana Liburd (24 November 2013). "Modeste Sando stuns D/Force; Joevin jams Guaya". Wired868.com. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  14. Lasana Liburd (19 December 2013). "Connection penalises Central in thrilling FA final". Wired868.com. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  15. Lasana Liburd (11 January 2014). "Connection edges Police to stay unbeaten; Caledonia holds Central". Wired868.com. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  16. Lasana Liburd (11 May 2014). "W for Winners: How Jones and Connection became Pro League champions". Wired868.com. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  17. Shaun Fuentes (Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation) (9 February 2011). "Cooper announces final U-17 squad for CONCACAF qualifiers". Soca Warriors Online. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  18. Inshan Mohammed (8 August 2012). "U-20 team off to winning start". Soca Warriors Online. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  19. Shaun Fuentes (Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation) (19 August 2010). "U-17 men whip St Kitts in CFU opener". Soca Warriors Online. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  20. Nigel Simon (T&T Guardian) (21 August 2010). "Cuba holds Under-17 boys goalless". Soca Warriors Online. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  21. Ian Prescott (T&T Express) (23 August 2010). "Jomal double sends T&T through". Soca Warriors Online. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  22. Shaun Fuentes (Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation) (15 February 2011). "Henry scores two, T&T ties Jamaica 2-2". Soca Warriors Online. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  23. CONCACAF.com (18 February 2011). "T&T seals U-17 QF berth with late goal". Soca Warriors Online. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  24. CONCACAF.com (23 February 2011). "T&T U-17 World Cup dream dashed by Canada". Soca Warriors Online. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  25. Shaun Fuentes (Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation) (11 August 2012). "T&T put themselves in must win situation vs St Vincent". Soca Warriors Online. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  26. Shaun Fuentes (Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation) (13 August 2012). "T&T seal spot in final CFU round with 3-0 win". Soca Warriors Online. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  27. Lasana Liburd (Wired868.com) (10 November 2012). "Russell spreads the blame for T&T U-20 failure". Soca Warriors Online. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  28. Lasana Liburd (Wired868.com) (13 November 2012). "W Connection owner fires back after criticism from T&T national coaches". Soca Warriors Online. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
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