1. Early Life and Youth Career
Elliott Bennett grew up in Telford, Shropshire, and began his football journey at the age of nine when he joined the Wolverhampton Wanderers academy. His talent was discovered during a local five-a-side tournament. In 2001, he captained the club's under-12 team that traveled to Japan, leading them to victory in the U12 World Cup and earning the Player of the Tournament award himself.
Bennett attended Thomas Telford School, where he continued to demonstrate leadership on the football field, captaining the school team to five consecutive County Cup wins. Beyond football, he was also an accomplished athlete, excelling as a 200-meter sprinter and representing Shropshire at the English School Athletics Championships. After completing his schooling, Bennett secured a scholarship at Wolves alongside Lee Collins, eventually signing his first professional contract with the club in March 2007.
2. Club Career
Elliott Bennett's professional football career spans several clubs, including loan spells and permanent transfers, where he made notable contributions and achieved significant milestones.
2.1. Wolverhampton Wanderers
Bennett officially signed professional terms with Wolverhampton Wanderers in March 2007 after progressing through their youth academy. Despite being included in the first-team squad on multiple occasions, he did not make any league appearances for the club. His only senior appearances for Wolves were two matches in the Football League Cup. During his time there, he gained experience through loan spells at other clubs before moving on.
2.2. Crewe Alexandra (loan)
During the 2007-08 season, Bennett was loaned to Crewe Alexandra from Wolverhampton Wanderers. He made nine league appearances and scored one goal for the club, which was against Port Vale. He also played two matches in the FA Cup.
2.3. Bury (loan)
Bennett had two separate loan spells with Bury during his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers. In the 2007-08 season, he played 19 league games and scored one goal. He returned to Bury for the 2008-09 season, making 46 league appearances and scoring three goals. Across his two loan periods, he also played one EFL Cup match and four other matches, which included two appearances in the Football League Trophy and two in the League Two play-offs. In total for Bury, he accumulated 71 appearances and scored 4 goals.
2.4. Brighton & Hove Albion
On 20 August 2009, Bennett signed a three-year permanent contract with Brighton & Hove Albion. In November 2010, he further committed to the club by signing a new three-and-a-half-year deal, extending his stay until the summer of 2014.
Bennett enjoyed a highly successful period with Brighton, especially during the 2010-11 season. He played a pivotal role in Brighton's promotion to the Championship, contributing significantly with eight goals and over 20 assists. His impressive performances earned him a place in the PFA Team of the Year for League One. Overall, he made 89 league appearances, scoring 13 goals, along with 9 FA Cup appearances (4 goals), 1 League Cup appearance, and 1 Football League Trophy appearance.
2.5. Norwich City
On 14 June 2011, Elliott Bennett moved to Norwich City, signing a three-year contract. He was assigned the squad number 17 for the upcoming Premier League season.
2.5.1. 2011-12 Season
Bennett's debut season at Norwich City began with a promising start during the pre-season, where he scored the third goal from 30 yd out in a 3-0 victory against Coventry City. He made his Premier League debut on the opening day of the season as a substitute, replacing Andrew Surman against Wigan Athletic. On 9 April 2012, Bennett scored his first Premier League goal against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane with a strike from just outside the penalty area. This goal proved to be the winner in a 2-1 victory for Norwich City. In total, he made 33 league appearances and scored 1 goal during this season.
2.5.2. 2012-13 Season
Bennett's second season with Norwich City began with him on the bench for the opening match against Fulham at Craven Cottage, which resulted in a 0-5 defeat for Norwich. He sustained an injury shortly after coming on as a substitute for Robert Snodgrass. Bennett made his return from injury in a League Cup clash against Doncaster Rovers, a match that notably featured his younger brother, Kyle Bennett, playing for the opposing side. On 6 April, he provided two assists in a 2-2 draw against Swansea City. Later, on 20 April, he scored in a 2-1 win against Reading. He made 24 league appearances and scored 1 goal this season.
2.5.3. 2013-14 Season
In his third season with Norwich City, Bennett featured in the club's opening Premier League fixture against Everton. However, he suffered a knee ligament injury during the match, which required surgery and ruled him out of play until 2014. He made his return from this significant injury on the final day of the season, coming on as a substitute for Nathan Redmond in the 76th minute of a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal. He only made 2 league appearances during this injury-plagued season.
2.6. Brighton & Hove Albion (loan)
During the 2014-15 season, while still a Norwich City player, Bennett returned to Brighton & Hove Albion on a loan spell. He made 7 league appearances for his former club during this period.
2.7. Bristol City (loan)
In the 2015-16 season, Bennett was loaned to Bristol City from Norwich City. He played 15 league matches for Bristol City during this loan period.
2.8. Blackburn Rovers
On 5 January 2016, Bennett signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Blackburn Rovers. He scored his first goal for Rovers on 27 February in a 3-2 victory against Milton Keynes Dons. His commitment to the club was further solidified when he signed a new two-year contract on 5 October 2017, followed by another two-and-a-half-year contract on 16 November 2018. Following the departure of Charlie Mulgrew, Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray announced that Bennett would assume the role of club captain for the 2019-20 season. Over his tenure at Blackburn Rovers, he made 177 league appearances, scoring 8 goals, and 192 total appearances with 9 goals across all competitions.
2.9. Shrewsbury Town
On 17 June 2021, Elliott Bennett made the move to League One, signing a one-year deal with Shrewsbury Town. After the 2021-22 season, he signed a contract extension for an undisclosed length. He was initially released by the club at the end of the 2022-23 season but re-signed with them for the 2023-24 season on 11 July 2023. He was released by Shrewsbury Town again at the end of the 2023-24 season.
2.10. Shifnal Town
Following his departure from Shrewsbury Town, Elliott Bennett currently plays as a defender for non-league club Shifnal Town.
3. International Career
Elliott Bennett is eligible to represent the Jamaica national football team through his paternal grandparents. He received his first call-up to the Jamaica national team on 27 February 2015 for friendly matches scheduled against Venezuela and Cuba. Despite the call-up, he has not made any official appearances for the national team.
4. Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2007-08 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | |
| 2008-09 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Crewe Alexandra (loan) | 2007-08 | League One | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| Bury (loan) | 2007-08 | League Two | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 |
| 2008-09 | League Two | 46 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 52 | 3 | |
| Total | 65 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 71 | 4 | ||
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2009-10 | League One | 43 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 9 |
| 2010-11 | League One | 46 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 8 | |
| Total | 89 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100 | 17 | ||
| Norwich City | 2011-12 | Premier League | 33 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 36 | 1 | |
| 2012-13 | Premier League | 24 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | 28 | 2 | ||
| 2013-14 | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2014-15 | Championship | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | |
| 2015-16 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 68 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 80 | 3 | ||
| Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) | 2014-15 | Championship | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 7 | 0 | |
| Bristol City (loan) | 2015-16 | Championship | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 15 | 0 | |
| Blackburn Rovers | 2015-16 | Championship | 21 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 24 | 2 | |
| 2016-17 | Championship | 25 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | 28 | 4 | ||
| 2017-18 | League One | 41 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 2 | |
| 2018-19 | Championship | 40 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 42 | 1 | ||
| 2019-20 | Championship | 41 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 42 | 0 | ||
| 2020-21 | Championship | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 9 | 0 | ||
| Total | 177 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 192 | 9 | ||
| Blackburn Rovers U23 | 2016-17 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| Shrewsbury Town | 2021-22 | League One | 42 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 2 |
| 2022-23 | League One | 32 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 1 | |
| 2023-24 | League One | 33 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 | |
| Total | 107 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 119 | 3 | ||
| Career total | 506 | 30 | 33 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 599 | 37 | ||
5. Honours
Elliott Bennett has accumulated several team and individual honours throughout his football career.
5.1. Club Honours
- Brighton & Hove Albion
- Football League One: 2010-11
- Norwich City
- EFL Championship play-offs: 2015
- Blackburn Rovers
- EFL League One runner-up: 2017-18
5.2. Individual Honours
- PFA Team of the Year: 2010-11 League One
6. Personal Life
Elliott Bennett was born in Telford, England. He is the elder brother of fellow professional footballer Kyle Bennett. Their family also includes cousin Jake Bennett, who plays for AFC Telford United. Elliott Bennett stands at 69 in (175 cm) tall.