Ben Thatcher facts for kids

Benjamin David Thatcher (born on November 30, 1975) is a former professional footballer. He played as a left-back, which is a defensive position on the left side of the field.

Ben Thatcher played for many English football clubs. He appeared in over 300 games in England's top two leagues. He spent time in the Premier League with teams like Wimbledon, Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City, and Manchester City. He also played for Millwall, Charlton Athletic, and Ipswich Town. He played four times for England's under-21 team. Later, he chose to play for the senior Wales national team, earning seven caps (appearances).

Ben Thatcher's Football Journey

Ben Thatcher was born in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. When he was young, he played Sunday League football for amateur teams in London. He also attended the Football Association's (FA) special school for talented young players at Lilleshall.

Starting at Millwall

After finishing his training, Ben signed his first professional contract with Millwall. He made his first team debut in the 1993–94 season when he was 18 years old. The next season, he became a regular player for Millwall and scored his first professional goal. He played over 100 games for Millwall. He was even named their Player of the Year for the 1995–96 season.

Moving to Wimbledon

In 1996, Ben Thatcher moved to Wimbledon F.C. for a fee of over £1.8 million. This made him Wimbledon's first player to be bought for over a million pounds. It was also double the amount they had paid for any player before.

In his first season at Wimbledon, Ben played in nine games. He played more often in the seasons that followed. After Wimbledon was relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 1999–2000 season, Ben moved to Tottenham Hotspur.

Playing for Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur paid about £5 million for Ben Thatcher in the summer of 2000. A few months after he joined, the Spurs manager, George Graham, left the club. Ben played less often under the new manager, Glenn Hoddle. However, he was part of the Spurs team that played in the League Cup final in 2002.

Time at Leicester City

Ben Thatcher then moved to Leicester City in 2003 for £300,000. He played one season for Leicester. During his time there, he scored one goal in the league. This goal came in an exciting 4–4 draw against his former club, Tottenham Hotspur.

Joining Manchester City

Ben's move to Manchester City cost around £100,000. He made his debut for Manchester City on the first day of the 2004–05 season against Fulham. He was usually the first-choice left-back for Manchester City. However, injuries and the rise of another player, Stephen Jordan, meant he played in 21 games in his first season.

In August 2006, during a game between Manchester City and Portsmouth, Ben Thatcher was involved in an incident with Pedro Mendes. Ben was later disciplined by the Football Association (FA) for this challenge. Manchester City also banned him for six matches and fined him. The FA gave him an additional suspension. Later, when they played against each other again, Pedro Mendes and Ben Thatcher shook hands before the game.

Moving to Charlton Athletic

Ben Thatcher signed with Charlton Athletic on January 11, 2007. The fee was reported to be £500,000, which could have gone up to £750,000 depending on how many games he played. He played his first game for Charlton Athletic on January 23, 2007, against Middlesbrough. The team was relegated from the Premier League at the end of that season.

Finishing at Ipswich Town

Ben Thatcher joined Ipswich Town on August 14, 2008. He signed a one-year contract with an option to stay for another year. His contract was ended by manager Roy Keane on February 26, 2010.

Playing for His Country

While playing for Wimbledon, Ben Thatcher played four times for the England under-21 team. However, in 2004, he decided to play for Wales. He was able to do this because his grandmother was Welsh. His first game for Wales was against Hungary in March 2004, which Wales won 2–1. By October 2004, he had played seven games for Wales.

In October 2004, John Toshack became the new coach for the Welsh national team. Ben Thatcher did not play any games under Toshack due to injuries and suspensions. In September 2005, Ben did not play in Wales' 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against England and Poland, saying he was injured. However, he played a full game for Manchester City just three days later against Manchester United. This made Coach Toshack unhappy, and Ben was not chosen for the Welsh national team after that.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

Awards and Achievements

Tottenham Hotspur

• Football League Cup runner-up: 2001–02 (This means his team reached the final but didn't win the cup.)

Individual Awards

• PFA Team of the Year: 1994–95 First Division (He was chosen as one of the best players in his league that season.)
• Millwall Player of the Year: 1995–96 (He was voted the best player at his club for that season.)

See also

In Spanish: Ben Thatcher para niños