Quick Facts
AriesBiography
Ben James Greenhalgh (born 16 April 1992) is an English footballer who plays for Maidstone United as a midfielder or striker. He is noted for winning the football reality show Football's Next Star, where he won a contract at Italian giants Inter Milan.
Career
Football's Next Star
Greenhalgh, from Orpington, who played for the Welling United youth team, was featured in the Sky One show Football's Next Star and impressed judges in the trial game after laying on a perfect cross for Hicham Abdellah to head home. At the end of the opening episode, the judges presented the Inter Milan shirt to ten players who would travel to Italy to compete for their dream of a professional contract in later episodes. After 20,000 entries to the show and 8 episodes, Greenhalgh was given the shirt and revealed as the winner of Football's Next Star 2010, receiving a professional 6-month contract with Inter Milan.
Back in the United Kingdom
After his 6-month professional contract at Inter Milan came to an end, Greenhalgh was offered another year from the Italian giants which included a 4-month loan spell to Calcio Como, where he scored 8 goals from 12 games. After his contract was up, he returned to the UK and spent time at Brighton and Hove Albion, as well as a spell at Birmingham City, where he was advised to play first team football in the Conference to gain experience in the English game. He signed for non-league club Welling United in December, before later joining Ebbsfleet United and Maidstone United.
In June 2013 he transferred to Scottish club Inverness Caledonian Thistle. This was due to happen in February 2013, however international clearance stopped Greenhalgh from leaving England until the 2013–14 season.
Having played only six first-team games for Inverness, Greenhalgh was loaned to Scottish League One club Stenhousemuir for the final six games of the season.
In June 2014 it was reported that Inverness had opted not to offer Greenhalgh a further contract, with manager John Hughes stating that he could not guarantee Greenhalgh first-team football. He currently coaches at football training camps, run by Skills Academy Director Mike Delaney
On 22 June 2015 it was announced that Greenhalgh had signed for Vanarama National League South side Concord Rangers, returning to a club where he had made a big impact during the run-in of the 2012-13 season, winning both The Isthmian League Cup, and The Isthmian League Premier Division play-offs.
On 26 May 2016 it was announced that Greenhalgh had signed for Maidstone United again.