Benjamin Polk (born 19 September 1992) is an American
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
player.
Career
Polk began his career in the youth setup of
Oxford United
Oxford United Football Club () is a professional association football, football club based in Oxford, England. The club compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football league system, English football. Founded as Headingto ...
, but was released after six years with the club. He later signed with local side
Banbury United
Banbury United Football Club is a football club based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at the Spencer Stadium.
History
The club was established in 1931 as Spencer Sports Club, a works team of the Sp ...
, where he played as a midfielder until 2013 when he accepted a
college soccer
College soccer, called college football in some countries, is played by teams composed of soccer players who are enrolled in colleges and universities. While it is most widespread in the United States, it is also prominent in Japan, South Kore ...
scholarship at
Genesee Community College
Genesee Community College (GCC) is a public community college with its main campus in Batavia, New York. It has campus centers in Medina, Warsaw, Dansville, and Arcade, New York. The college serves areas not only inside of Genesee County but a ...
. After one year with Genesee, Polk transferred to
Herkimer County Community College in 2013, and again in 2015 when he spent a year at
Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...
.
While at college, Polk spent time with
Premier Development League
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States, forming part of the United States soccer league system. The league will featu ...
side
K-W United FC
The Kennedy K-W is an American high-wing, strut-braced, single-seat Glider (sailplane), glider that was designed by Harold Kennedy of Dodge City, Kansas, with assistance from Floyd Watson. The aircraft is notable for being assembled from type ...
in 2015.
On January 14, 2016, Polk was selected in the first round (20th overall) of the
2016 MLS SuperDraft
The 2016 MLS SuperDraft was the seventeenth SuperDraft conducted by Major League Soccer. The SuperDraft is held each year in conjunction with the annual National Soccer Coaches Association of America convention. The 2016 convention was held in ...
by
Portland Timbers
The Portland Timbers are an American professional Association football, soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The Timbers have p ...
.
Polk signed with
United Soccer League
The United Soccer League (USL) is an organizer of various professional and amateur soccer leagues in the United States league system. It currently organizes its Championship, League One, and League Two for men, its Super League and W Leag ...
side
Orlando City B
Orlando City B (or OCB for short) is an American soccer club that began play in 2016 and currently plays in MLS Next Pro. Owned by Orlando City SC and based at the Orlando City training facility in Kissimmee, the club plays its home games at ...
on December 6, 2016.
His contract expired in October 2017.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Polk, Ben
1992 births
Living people
Men's association football forwards
Banbury United F.C. players
Bedworth United F.C. players
English expatriate men's footballers
English expatriate sportspeople in the United States
English men's footballers
Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
Orlando City B players
Footballers from Banbury
Portland Timbers draft picks
Portland Timbers players
Portland Timbers 2 players
Soccer players from Phoenix, Arizona
Syracuse Orange men's soccer players
USL Championship players
21st-century English sportsmen