Ben Wilmot

Ben Wilmot
Personal information
Full name Benjamin Lewis Wilmot[1]
Date of birth (1999-11-04) 4 November 1999[2]
Place of birth Stevenage, England[3]
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[2]
Position(s) Centre-back, midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Stoke City
Number 16
Youth career
–2014 Hitchin Town
2014–2017 Stevenage
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2018 Stevenage 10 (0)
2018–2021 Watford 27 (1)
2019 → Udinese (loan) 5 (0)
2019–2020 → Swansea City (loan) 21 (2)
2021– Stoke City 139 (8)
International career
2018 England U19 2 (0)
2018–2019 England U20 2 (0)
2019–2021 England U21 4 (1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 20:08, 9 August 2025 (UTC)

Benjamin Lewis Wilmot (born 4 November 1999) is an English professional footballer who plays for EFL Championship club Stoke City. Primarily a central defender, he can also be deployed in midfield.

Wilmot began playing football in the academies at Hitchin Town and Stevenage, breaking into Stevenage's first team during the 2017–18 season. He signed for Watford in May 2018 and was loaned to Serie A club Udinese in January 2019. In July 2019, he joined Championship club Swansea City on loan. Wilmot returned to Watford and helped the club earn promotion to the Premier League during the 2020–21 season. He signed for Stoke City in June 2021. Internationally, Wilmot has represented England at under-19, under-20, and under-21 level.

Early life

Born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire,[3] Wilmot is the son of former Stevenage goalkeeper Richard Wilmot, who made over 150 appearances for the club.[4][5] He attended Hitchin Boys' School and played in the youth teams at Hitchin Town.[6][7]

Club career

Stevenage

Wilmot joined Stevenage as an academy scholar, and progressed through the youth system of his hometown club.[8] As a first-year scholar, he signed his first professional contract with Stevenage in April 2017, after playing regularly throughout the club's FA Youth Cup run in the 2016–17 season.[8][9]

He made his first-team debut on 3 October 2017, playing the whole match in central defence as Stevenage drew 0–0 away at Milton Keynes Dons in the EFL Trophy.[10] Wilmot established himself as a first-team regular in January 2018, helping Stevenage keep three clean sheets in six matches.[11] During the 2018 January transfer window, the club's chairman Phil Wallace stated that Stevenage had rejected three bids from Premier League clubs for Wilmot,[12] including a £500,000 offer from Watford, whilst Tottenham Hotspur offered "slightly less".[13] Wilmot did not feature in any matches from the start of April 2018 until the remainder of the season with a transfer nearing completion.[14][15] He made 15 appearances during the season.[11]

Watford

Wilmot signed for Premier League club Watford on 24 May 2018, for an undisclosed fee on a five-year contract.[16] Stevenage stated that the transfer constituted a club record fee received and that the total could increase significantly based on Wilmot's future appearances.[17] Wilmot made his first-team debut for Watford in the club's EFL Cup tie away to Reading on 29 August 2018, starting and playing the full match in a 2–0 victory.[18]

Loan spells

Wilmot joined Serie A club Udinese on loan on 31 January 2019 for the remainder of the 2018–19 season.[19] He made his debut for Udinese in a 4–1 defeat away to Juventus on 8 March 2019, playing the first half of the match.[20] Wilmot made five appearances for Udinese during the loan spell.[3]

Ahead of the 2019–20 season, on 25 July 2019, Wilmot joined Championship club Swansea City on a season-long loan.[21] He made his Swansea debut in a 3–1 home victory over Northampton Town in the EFL Cup on 13 August 2019, playing the whole match.[22][23] Wilmot made only two appearances in the opening two months of the season,[23] eventually making his Championship debut as a late substitute in a 2–1 away win at Charlton Athletic on 2 October 2019.[24] He scored his first goal for the club in the South Wales derby; his first-half header proved decisive in an eventual 1–0 victory on 27 October 2019.[25] Wilmot sustained a knee injury in Swansea's 1–1 draw with Millwall on 30 June 2020, being substituted in the 83rd minute.[23][26] The injury ruled him out of the remainder of the 2019–20 season, and he returned to Watford to undergo rehabilitation.[23][27] He made 23 appearances during the loan agreement at Swansea, scoring two goals.[23]

Return to Watford

With Watford having been relegated to the Championship the previous season, Wilmot began the 2020–21 season as a regular starter.[28] He scored his first goal for Watford in a 1–1 draw against Queens Park Rangers on 21 November 2020.[28][29] Wilmot played 27 times during a season in which Watford secured promotion back into the Premier League after finishing in second place in the Championship.[28][30]

Stoke City

Having played "a pivotal role" in Watford's automatic promotion-winning season, Wilmot attracted transfer interest from a number of clubs.[31] He signed for Championship club Stoke City for an undisclosed fee on 24 June 2021, agreeing a four-year contract.[32] He scored his first goal for the club, a 30-yard strike, in a 2–1 home defeat to Preston North End on 3 January 2022.[33] His goal won the Championship Goal of the Month for January and was later nominated for the EFL Goal of the Season award.[34][35] Wilmot made 39 appearances during the 2021–22 season as Stoke finished 14th in the Championship.[36] He was voted Stoke's Player of the Year for the 2022–23 season, having made 41 appearances and scored three goals.[37][38] Wilmot sustained a season-ending back fracture in a match against West Bromwich Albion on 17 April 2023.[39]

Wilmot signed a three-year contract extension with Stoke on 12 May 2023.[40] Having started the 2023–24 season as a regular in the first team, Wilmot sustained a knee injury after colliding with the goalpost in a match against Southampton in October 2023, which limited him to 29 appearances.[41][42] During the 2024–25 season, Wilmot formed a central defensive partnership with Ashley Phillips, making 42 appearances as Stoke avoided relegation on the final day of the season.[43][44][45]

International career

Wilmot was called up to represent the England under-19 team in March 2018 for their three 2018 UEFA European under-19 Championship qualification matches in Skopje.[46] He was the only player in the squad not contracted to a club playing in the top two divisions of English football.[13] Wilmot made his England under-19 debut in a 3–0 victory over Latvia on 24 March 2018, appearing as an 84th-minute substitute.[47] In doing so, he became the first Stevenage player to represent England at youth level.[46]

Wilmot was included in the England under-21 squad on 30 August 2019.[48] Wilmot received another call-up in October 2019 and made his under-21 debut in a 2–2 draw against Slovenia under-21s in Maribor on 11 October 2019, coming on as a second-half substitute.[49] He scored his first goal at under-21 level during a 3–1 victory over Andorra under-21s at Molineux on 13 November 2020.[50]

Through FIFA's grandparent rule, Wilmot is also eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland.[51]

Style of play

Described as a "ball-playing midfielder" during his time in the youth system at Stevenage,[13] Wilmot later moved into central defence, where he was deployed during his breakthrough season with the club's first team.[13][52] Following his transfer to Watford, manager Javi Gracia stated that Wilmot "has the intelligence" to play in a holding midfield role positioned in front of the two central defenders.[52] He was subsequently utilised there during the 2018–19 season for both Watford and Udinese.[52][53][54] Wilmot considers himself primarily a defender, although he has stated he is also comfortable playing in midfield.[54] He has said he does not model his game on any other player, but instead "takes inspiration from technically-gifted players" such as Sergio Busquets.[54]

Career statistics

As of match played 12 August 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Stevenage 2016–17[36] League Two 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2017–18[11] League Two 10 0 3 0 0 0 2[c] 0 15 0
Total 10 0 3 0 0 0 2 0 15 0
Watford 2018–19[55] Premier League 2 0 2 0 2 0 — 6 0
2019–20[23] Premier League 0 0 0 0 — — 0 0
2020–21[28] Championship 25 1 1 0 1 0 — 27 1
Total 27 1 3 0 3 0 — 33 1
Udinese (loan) 2018–19[3] Serie A 5 0 — — — 5 0
Swansea City (loan) 2019–20[23] Championship 21 2 0 0 2 0 — 23 2
Stoke City 2021–22[56] Championship 35 1 2 0 2 0 — 39 1
2022–23[37] Championship 39 3 2 0 0 0 — 41 3
2023–24[57] Championship 25 1 1 0 3 0 — 29 1
2024–25[58] Championship 39 3 1 0 2 0 — 42 3
2025–26[59] Championship 1 0 0 0 1 0 — 2 0
Total 139 8 6 0 8 0 — 153 8
Career total 202 11 12 0 13 0 2 0 229 11
  1. ^ Includes FA Cup
  2. ^ Includes EFL Cup
  3. ^ Appearances in the EFL Trophy

Honours

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Notification of shirt numbers: Swansea City" (PDF). English Football League. p. 71. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Profile". 11v11. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d "Soccerway – Ben Wilmot". Soccerway. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  4. ^ "BoroGuide – Ben Wilmot". BoroGuide. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  5. ^ "BoroGuide – Richard Wilmot". BoroGuide. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  6. ^ "A famous Swansea goal, a dressing-room upbringing and developing a taste for prosciutto at Udinese – Wilmot is maturing fast away from Vicarage Road". The Athletic. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  7. ^ "In the spotlight – Ben Wilmot". swanseacity.com. Swansea City A.F.C. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  8. ^ a b "Ben Wilmot signs professional terms". Stevenage F.C. 2 April 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  9. ^ "Stevenage duo put pen to paper on new deals". The Comet. 2 April 2017. Archived from the original on 4 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  10. ^ "Report: MK Dons 0–0 Stevenage (5–4 pens)". Stevenage F.C. 3 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  11. ^ a b c "Games played by Ben Wilmot in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  12. ^ "Phil Wallace's inside story on the January Transfer Window". Stevenage F.C. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  13. ^ a b c d "The rise and rise of Ben Wilmot: The England teenager bucking the trend". Independent. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  14. ^ "Wilmot withdrawn from squad as club in talks over transfer". Stevenage F.C. 6 April 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  15. ^ "Ben Wilmot: Stevenage chairman says defender close to leaving club". BBC Sport. 6 April 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  16. ^ "Official: Watford Sign Wilmot". Watford F.C. 24 May 2018. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  17. ^ "Ben Wilmot signs with Watford for club record fee". Stevenage F.C. 24 May 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  18. ^ "Reading 0–2 Watford". BBC Sport. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  19. ^ "Official: Wilmot leaves on loan". Watford F.C. 31 January 2019. Archived from the original on 1 February 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  20. ^ "Juventus 4–1 Udinese". Soccerway. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  21. ^ "Watford defender Ben Wilmot completes Swansea City loan switch". Evening Standard. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  22. ^ "Swansea City 3–1 Northampton Town". BBC Sport. 13 August 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  23. ^ a b c d e f g "Games played by Ben Wilmot in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  24. ^ "Charlton Athletic 1–2 Swansea City". BBC Sport. 2 October 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  25. ^ "Swansea City 1–0 Cardiff City". BBC Sport. 27 October 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  26. ^ "Swans struck by defensive injuries". Swansea City A.F.C. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  27. ^ "Latest Swansea City injury news ahead of Leeds United clash". Leeds Live. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  28. ^ a b c d "Games played by Ben Wilmot in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  29. ^ "QPR 1–1 Watford". BBC Sport. 21 November 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  30. ^ "Championship – 2020–21 – League Table". Soccerway. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  31. ^ "Ben Wilmot: Stoke City sign Watford centre-back on four-year deal". BBC Sport. 24 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  32. ^ "Ben becomes a Potter". Stoke City F.C. 24 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  33. ^ "Stoke City 1–2 Preston North End". BBC Sport. 3 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  34. ^ "Stoke City defender reflects on award-winning goal that he calls the 'best shot of his career'". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  35. ^ "EFL Goal of the Season shortlist revealed!". EFL. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  36. ^ a b "B. Wilmot: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  37. ^ a b "Games played by Ben Wilmot in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  38. ^ a b "Wilmot named Player of the Season". Stoke City F.C. 30 April 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  39. ^ "Ben Wilmot: Stoke City defender suffers fracture in his back". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  40. ^ "Potters' Player of the Season commits until 2026". Stoke City F.C. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  41. ^ "Stoke City injury crisis as Alex Neil left with just two fit defenders ahead of Leicester clash". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  42. ^ "Honest Ben Wilmot opens up on Stoke City season and who will succeed him as player of the year". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  43. ^ "Stoke City end of season player ratings from sustained excellence to won't be seen again". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  44. ^ "Derby County 0-0 Stoke City: Both teams survive after goalless draw". Sky Sports. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  45. ^ "Derby County 0–0 Stoke City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  46. ^ a b "Ben Wilmot named in England U19 squad". Stevenage F.C. 15 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  47. ^ "England U19 3–0 Latvia U19". Soccerway. 24 March 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  48. ^ "England U21s kick-off a new campaign and Aidy Boothroyd has picked his squad". The Football Association. 30 August 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  49. ^ "Goals from Eddie Nketiah and Sam Surridge cancelled out as Young Lions tie in Maribor". The Football Association. 11 October 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  50. ^ "England U21 3–1 Andorra U21". BBC Sport. 13 November 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  51. ^ "In the Spotlight – Ben Wilmot". Swansea City A.F.C. 23 November 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
  52. ^ a b c "Ben Wilmot: Watford boss Javi Gracia looking to mould 'intelligent' teenager into central midfielder". Watford Observer. 22 October 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  53. ^ "Wilmot: "It gives you that bit more desire to start"". Watford F.C. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  54. ^ a b c "Wilmot relishing 'Udinese opportunity'". Football Italia. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  55. ^ "Games played by Ben Wilmot in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  56. ^ "Games played by Ben Wilmot in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  57. ^ "Games played by Ben Wilmot in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  58. ^ "Games played by Ben Wilmot in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  59. ^ "Games played by Ben Wilmot in 2025/2026". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  60. ^ "EFL Awards: Ben Wilmot wins League Two Apprentice of the Year". Stevenage F.C. 15 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
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