Joseph Bennett (born 28 March 1990) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for EFL Championship club Oxford United.
After one season as a regular in the first team, he struggled to establish himself in the side and, after loan spells with Brighton & Hove Albion, AFC Bournemouth and Sheffield Wednesday, he was sold to Cardiff City in 2016.
Bennett was born in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, but moved to the northeast, settling in the village of Swainby in North Yorkshire,[4] when he was 10 following his parents' separation.
He later had an unsuccessful trial with Newcastle United before dropping back into local Sunday league football on the recommendation of assistant academy manager Stan Nixon.
[4][5] During his year away from Middlesbrough, Bennett switched from his usual role as a full-back, instead playing as a forward, and "worked really hard on (his) fitness and strength" later commenting that the experience made him realise "how badly I wanted to make it.
[5] He was named on the bench for a number of Premier League fixtures, before making his first team debut on 24 May 2009 during a 2–1 defeat to West Ham United in the final game of the 2008–09 season, replacing Tony McMahon after 46 minutes.
[11] Having been promoted to the first team, Bennett made his first appearance of the 2009–10 season in an away loss at Nottingham Forest in the League Cup, coming on as a substitute in extra time.
[18] He signed a new four-and-a-half-year deal in January 2011, extending his stay until June 2015,[19] and made 28 consecutive starts under the new manager, the longest run of any player, until he was forced to miss several games after contracting mumps.
[34] Bennett made 42 appearances in all competitions for Brighton, featuring in more matches than any other player at the club, before returning to Villa at the end of the season.
[35] Bennett began the 2015–16 season with Villa, scoring his first goal for the club in a 5–3 victory against Notts County in the League Cup on 25 August 2015.
Bournemouth on an initial six-month loan deal on the final day of the summer transfer window, signing a one-year contract extension with Villa prior to his departure.
[37] Signed as cover following injuries sustained by Tyrone Mings and Charlie Daniels, Bennett was described by manager Eddie Howe as possessing "everything the modern day left-back needs.
[44] After suffering a calf injury, Bennett was forced to wait two months before making his debut in a 2–1 Severnside derby victory against Bristol City on 14 October.
However, he rejected the move to stay in the Welsh capital,[47] with manager Neil Warnock confirming that Fulham's offer contained a significant wage increase.
Bennett later issued a public apology for the first bookable tackle on Leroy Sané, which left the opposition player injured, following backlash from fans on social media and pundits.
[52] During the 2017–18 season, Bennett helped the club win promotion to the Premier League after finishing as runners-up in the Championship, making 40 appearances in all competitions.
[54] Ahead of the 2018–19 season, Cardiff signed fellow left-back Greg Cunningham from Preston North End to provide competition for Bennett.
Bennett made his Wigan debut on Tuesday 30 November, playing 68 minutes against Accrington Stanley in Round 2 of the Papa John's Trophy.