Ben Fox

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Ben Fox
Personal information
Full name Benjamin Jake Fox[1]
Date of birth (1998-02-01) 1 February 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth Burton upon Trent, England
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Northampton Town
Number 8
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2021 Burton Albion 37 (1)
2016–2017 → Tamworth (loan) 20 (2)
2017 → Solihull Moors (loan) 5 (0)
2017 → Tamworth (loan) 5 (0)
2017–2018 → Gateshead (loan) 12 (2)
2020–2021 → Barnet (loan) 0 (0)
2021–2022 Grimsby Town 32 (1)
2022– Northampton Town 54 (4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:00, 13 December 2024 (UTC)

Benjamin Jake Fox (born 1 February 1998) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL League One club Northampton Town.

Fox came through the youth academy at Burton Albion and progressed to the first team where he made 37 league appearances over a 5 year spell. Whilst with Albion he spent time on loan with non-league sides Tamworth, Solihull Moors, Gateshead and Barnet.

Fox moved to Grimsby Town in the summer of 2021 and was part of the team that won promotion to the Football League by winning the National League play offs in 2022. On June 17, 2022, Fox signed a two-year deal with Northampton Town.

Career

Burton Albion

Fox was included in the first team squad during the 2016–17 season, and was allocated the number 21 squad number. He was given his debut in the EFL Cup match against Liverpool on 23 August 2016, coming on as a 65th-minute substitute for Lloyd Dyer, a game in which Burton lost 5–0.[2] Fox was given his EFL Championship debut on 17 September 2016, coming on as 77th-minute substitute for Hamza Choudhury in a home game against Brighton & Hove Albion which they lost 1–0.[3] He scored his first goal for Burton in an EFL Cup tie against Cardiff City on 22 August 2017.[4]

Fox joined Conference North side Tamworth on 1 December 2016, on an initial one-month loan,[5] which was later extended to the rest of the season on 8 February 2017.[6] The following season, he spent time on loan with Solihull Moors, had a second loan spell at Tamworth, and then went on loan for a third time that season, this time at Gateshead.

Fox broke into the first team at Burton in the 2018-19 season, but in July 2019 he was ruled out of action until March 2020 with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.[7] In December 2020 he joined Barnet on a one-month loan, with a view to an extension until the end of the season.[8] Fox scored on his debut in the FA Trophy against Dorking Wanderers, but later received a straight red card for a late tackle in a 3–1 defeat.[9] His suspension, followed by subsequent match postponements, and a change of management at Burton meant this was his only game for the club.[10]

On 12 May 2021 it was announced that he would be one of 12 players leaving Burton at the end of the season.[11]

Grimsby Town

On 15 June 2021, Fox joined Grimsby Town on a one-year deal [12]

Fox earned the man of the match award as The Mariners defeated Solihull Moors 2-1 at the London Stadium in the 2022 National League play-off final.[13]

Northampton Town

On 17 June 2022, Fox signed for fellow EFL League Two side Northampton Town having rejected a new deal from Grimsby.[14]

On 14 May 2024, the club announced Fox had signed a new contract for a year with the option of a further year.[15]

Career statistics

As of match played 17 December 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Burton Albion 2016–17[16] Championship 1 0 0 0 1 0 — 2 0
2017–18[17] Championship 0 0 0 0 2 1 — 2 1
2018–19[18] League One 27 1 0 0 7 0 2[a] 0 36 1
2019–20[19] League One 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2020–21[20] League One 9 0 0 0 1 0 2[a] 0 12 0
Total 37 1 0 0 11 1 4 0 52 2
Tamworth (loan) 2016–17[21] National League North 20 2 0 0 — 0 0 20 2
Solihull Moors (loan) 2017–18[21] National League 5 0 0 0 — 0 0 5 0
Tamworth (loan) 2017–18[21] National League North 5 0 0 0 — 1[b] 0 6 0
Gateshead (loan) 2017–18[21] National League 12 2 0 0 — 0 0 12 2
Barnet (loan) 2020–21[21] National League 0 0 0 0 — 1[b] 1 1 1
Grimsby Town 2021–22[21] National League 32 1 2 0 — 4[c] 0 38 1
Northampton Town 2022–23[22] League Two 22 4 1 0 1 0 3[a] 0 27 4
2023–24[23] League One 19 0 0 0 0 0 1[a] 0 20 0
2024–25[24] League One 13 0 1 0 1 0 2[a] 1 17 1
Total 54 4 2 0 2 1 6 1 64 5
Career total 165 10 4 0 13 1 16 2 198 13
  1. ^ a b c d e Appearances in the EFL Trophy
  2. ^ a b Appearance(s) in the FA Trophy
  3. ^ One appearance in FA Trophy, two appearances in National League playoffs

Honours

Grimsby Town

Northampton Town

References

  1. ^ "Club list of registered players: As at 19th May 2018: Burton Albion" (PDF). English Football League. p. 11. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  2. ^ "Burton Albion 0-5 Liverpool". BBC Sport. 23 August 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  3. ^ "Burton Albion 0-1 Brighton & Hove Albion". BBC Sport. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  4. ^ "Cardiff 1-2 Burton". BBC. 22 August 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  5. ^ "Brewers Midfielder Signs". Tamworth F.C. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  6. ^ "Ben Fox stays with Tamworth until the end of the season". Burton Albion F.C. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  7. ^ "Ben Fox: Burton Albion midfielder out until March with knee injury". BBC Sport. 17 July 2019.
  8. ^ Ben Fox makes loan switch from Brewers to Bees
  9. ^ Match Pack: Dorking Wanderers 3-1 Barnet FC
  10. ^ "Ben Fox returns to Burton Albion".
  11. ^ "12 PLAYERS TO LEAVE BURTON ALBION AT END OF THEIR CONTRACTS". www.burtonalbionfc.co.uk.
  12. ^ "Grimsby Town sign former Burton Albion midfielder Ben Fox". Grimsbylive. 15 June 2021.
  13. ^ "Grimsby Town player ratings as McAtee and four others star in Solihull comeback". Grimsbylive. 5 June 2022.
  14. ^ "Ben Fox Joins Northampton Town".
  15. ^ "Northampton Town midfielder Ben Fox signs new contract". BBC Sport. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  16. ^ "Games played by Ben Fox in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  17. ^ "Games played by Ben Fox in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  18. ^ "Games played by Ben Fox in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  19. ^ "Games played by Ben Fox in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  20. ^ "Games played by Ben Fox in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  21. ^ a b c d e f Ben Fox at Soccerway. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  22. ^ "Games played by Ben Fox in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  23. ^ "Games played by Ben Fox in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  24. ^ "Games played by Ben Fox in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  25. ^ "NORTHAMPTON TOWN HAVE BEEN PROMOTED!". Northampton Town. 8 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.