Benjamin James Everson (born 11 February 1987) is an English

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...

who plays for Dandenong City as a striker. He previously played for

Norton & Stockton Ancients Norton & Stockton Ancients Football Club is a football club based in Norton, Stockton-on-Tees, England. They are currently members of the and play at the Norton Sports Complex. History The club was established in 1959 as Norton Cricket Club T ...

Shildon Shildon is a town and civil parish in County Durham, in England. The population taken at the 2011 Census was 9,976. The town has the Locomotion Museum, due to it having the first , built in 1825, and locomotive works on the Stockton and Darlin ...

Guisborough Town Guisborough Town Football Club is a football club based in Guisborough, North Yorkshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at the King George V Ground. History The club was established in 1973 and joined the Middlesbrough & D ...

El Paso Patriots El Paso Patriots was an American soccer team based in El Paso, Texas, United States. Founded in 1989, the team played in the Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Mid South Division of the Southe ...

, Bradenton Academics,

West Texas United Sockers West Texas FC is an American soccer team based in Midland, Texas, United States. Founded in 2008, the team plays in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Lone Star Conference of the Sout ...

, Tindastóll, Breiðablik,

York City York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team compete in the National League, at the fifth tier of the English football league sys ...

, Gateshead,

AFC United Athletic Football Club Eskilstuna, also known as AFC Eskilstuna or simply AFC, is a Swedish football club located in Eskilstuna. The club has previously been known under the names FC Café Opera and Väsby United before switching ownership and t ...

and KA Akureyri.

Career

Early career

Born in

Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area. Until the early 1800s, the a ...

, North Yorkshire, Everson attended

Newlands School FCJ Newlands Catholic School FCJ, was a mixed 11–16 Catholic, state school State schools (in England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand) or public schools (Scottish English and North American English) are generally primary or secondary educat ...

and

Middlesbrough College Middlesbrough College, located on one campus at Middlehaven, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England, is the largest college on Teesside. Admissions It provides predominantly further education, but also selected higher education provision, a ...

, graduating in 2005 after helping the college team win two National Championships in three appearances at the National Finals. He then became a student at

Teesside University , mottoeng = Deeds Not Words , established = 1930 – Constantine Technical College1969 – as Teesside Polytechnic 1992 – gained university status , type = Public , endowment = £0.23 m (2019/20) , chancellor ...

, based in Middlesbrough. Everson played for a number of local

non-League Non-League football describes association football, football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is s ...

sides, first playing for

before joining

in February 2005. During the summer he agreed to stay at the club for the 2005–06 season, before playing for

the

following ''Following'' is a 1998 independent neo-noir crime thriller film written, produced, edited and directed by Christopher Nolan. It tells the story of a young man who follows strangers around the streets of London and is drawn into a criminal unde ...

season. Everson also played

futsal Futsal is a football-based game played on a hard court smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and indoor football. Futsal is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is t ...

for Middlesbrough Futsal Club in 2007, helping them win the York Futsal Open the day after the club was founded. He played for Middlesbrough in the FA Futsal Cup finals, scoring 10 goals in five appearances, and competed in the Futsal Premier League as the team finished in second place.

United States

Everson earned a three-year football scholarship with

West Texas A&M University West Texas A&M University (WTAMU or WT) is a public university in Canyon, Texas. It is the northernmost campus of the Texas A&M University System and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). It was established on Se ...

Canyon, Texas Canyon is a city in, and the county seat of, Randall County, Texas, United States. The population was 14,836 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Amarillo, Texas, metropolitan statistical area. Canyon is the home of West Texas A&M University a ...

in 2007, having undergone trials with several universities in the United States. He scored on his collegiate debut with West Texas' first goal of the season, in a 2–1 victory over the

University of Texas of the Permian Basin The University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) is a public university in Odessa, Texas. It is part of the University of Texas System. UTPB was authorized by the Texas Legislature in 1969 and founded in 1973. UTPB is now home to over 7,000 student ...

. He finished the 2007 season with 14 goals, equalling the sixth-highest number of goals scored in a season for West Texas. His 31 points was the highest of any player in the team that season, and is the eighth highest recorded by a West Texas player in a season. As a result of his contributions, he was named a member of the

NSCAA The United Soccer Coaches (formerly known as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)) is an organization of United States, American soccer Coach (sport), coaches founded in 1941. It is the largest soccer coaches organization i ...

All-Midwest Region first team, in addition to being named the SSC Freshman of the Year. He was named the SSC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year ahead of the 2008 season, which he began with two successive goals in a 6–0 win over

Northeastern State University Northeastern State University (NSU) is a public university with its main campus in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The university also has two other campuses in Muskogee and Broken Arrow as well as online. Northeastern is the oldest institution of hig ...

. Later in the season he scored a

hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wi ...

in West Texas' 5–0 win over the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. After scoring 13 goals and recording 28 points in the 2008 season, Everson was named the SSC Offensive Player of the Year and was included in the NSCAA

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...

Division II Men's all-South Central Region Team. Everson also played for

USL Premier Development League USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United States soccer league sy ...

side the

during the

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ...

season, scoring one goal in eight appearances. His 15 goals and one assist in the 2009 season helped West Texas to their highest national ranking in the team's 19-year history. For the second time in three seasons, he recorded more points than any other player in the team, with 31. Everson earned the LSC Offensive Player of the Week award after scoring twice in a 7–1 win over the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Following the season's close he was named the LSC Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, as well as being selected for the all-LSC first team. In addition, he was named the South Central Region Player of the Year and the all-American second team, before being included in the NSCAA South Central Region team. He left West Texas in top place in the LSC Men's Soccer leaderboards in goals (42) and shots (214). Everson continued his football career in the United States with the Bradenton Academics of the USL Premier Development League, joining at the start of the

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

season. Having scored twice in six games for the Academics, he signed for league rivals

late into the team's inaugural 2009 season and scored five goals in six league appearances. Everson also scored in the Sockers' 2–1 Divisional Semifinal win over

Austin Aztex U23 Austin Aztex U23 was an American association football, soccer team based in Round Rock, Texas, United States. Founded in 2007, the team played in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009, ...

on 22 July 2009, before playing in their 1–0 defeat to the

Laredo Heat Laredo Heat is an American soccer team based in Laredo, Texas, United States. Founded in 2004, the team plays in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. They were members of the USL Premier Deve ...

in the Divisional Final on 25 July. He finished the season with eight appearances and six goals for the Sockers. Everson returned to Middlesbrough Futsal Club for the 2010 season, having briefly returned in early 2009 to play in a

friendly match An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, a scrimmage, a demonstration, a preseason game, a warmup match, or a preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sporting event whose prize money and impact on the player's or ...

. After making two appearances for Middlesbrough, in which he scored six goals, he resumed his studies and football career at West Texas A&M University. He was named the LSC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, having led the LSC in shots (77), points (31) and goals (19) in the 2010 season. He graduated in 2010, having spent a total of four years at West Texas, before attending

graduate school Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree. The organization and st ...

at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. He returned to play for the Sockers for the

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

season, and having finished the season with two goals in six outings was invited to take part in a training camp with

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Cana ...

side the

San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes are an American professional soccer team based in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes compete as a member club of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). Originally as the San Jose Clash, the franchis ...

in January 2011. Everson stayed with the Sockers and played for them during the 2011 season, making 11 appearances and scoring three goals.

Iceland

He signed with

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...

ic 1. deild karla side Tindastóll in April 2012, making his debut after starting a 2–0 defeat away at

Haukar Knattspyrnufélagið Haukar ( en, Hawks F.C.) is an Icelandic multi-sport club from Hafnarfjörður with divisions in Association football, Football, Haukar Handball, Handball, Basketball, Karate, Skiing & Chess. Club history The club was found ...

on 12 May 2012. His first goal came with Tindastóll's second goal in a 4–2 home defeat to ÍR on 2 June 2012. Having scored seven goals in 11 appearances for Tindastóll, Everson signed for Breiðablik of the Úrvalsdeild in July 2012. He made his debut as a 64th minute substitute for Haukur Baldvinsson in a 1–0 victory at home to ÍBV on 29 July 2012. Everson scored on his second appearance with the winning goal in the first minute of

stoppage time Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

, securing his team a 4–3 away win at Valur on 8 August 2012. He finished the

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

season with one goal in nine appearances for Breiðablik, as they qualified for the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League First qualifying round after finishing second in the league.

York City

Everson returned to England after signing for

League Two The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Le ...

side

on a contract until the end of the

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...

season on 15 January 2013. He made his debut on 19 January 2013 as a 71st-minute substitute for

Jamie Reed Jamieson Ronald "Jamie" Reed (born 4 August 1973) is a British former politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Copeland from 2005 to 2017. A member of the Labour Party, he was a Shadow Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Mini ...

in a 0–0 home draw with

Aldershot Town Aldershot Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The club was founded in the spring ...

. Having struggled for opportunities in the team, Everson joined

Conference Premier The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profess ...

side Gateshead on a one-month

loan In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that ...

on 21 February 2013. He made his Gateshead debut the following day as a 66th-minute substitute for James Brown in a 4–0 win at

Macclesfield Town Macclesfield Town Football Club was an English professional football club based in Macclesfield, Cheshire, that was wound-up after a High Court ruling on 16 September 2020. Initially known as Macclesfield F.C., the club was formed in 1874 and ...

. Everson scored on his next appearance, in a 2–1 home defeat to Braintree Town on 2 March 2013. The loan was later extended until the end of the season, which he completed with two goals in 11 appearances. Having made two appearances for York he was released by the club on 30 April 2013.

Return to Iceland

Everson agreed a return to Iceland on 3 May 2013, signing for 1. deild karla club

BÍ/Bolungarvík Knattspyrnudeild Vestra, also known as Vestri, is the football department of the Íþróttafélagið Vestri multi-sport club and is based in Ísafjarðarbær, Iceland. Men's History The club was founded in 1986 as the football department of ''Ba ...

ahead of the

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment ...

season. He made his debut in a 1–0 away win at

Íþróttafélagið Völsungur Íþróttafélagið Völsungur is an Icelandic multi-sport club from the town of Húsavík located on the north coast of Iceland on the shores of Skjálfandi bay. History The club was founded on 12 April 1927 by 23 boys. In 1933, the first girl ...

on 9 May 2013, before scoring his first goal in the following match, a 2–1 home win over Þróttur on 18 May.

Dandenong City

In February 2018, Everson joined

National Premier Leagues Victoria 2 The National Premier Leagues Victoria 2, commonly referred to as NPL Victoria 2, is a semi-professional soccer league in Victoria, Australia. The league is the second-highest in the Victorian league system, behind the National Premier Leagues V ...

side Dandenong City, where he scored 15 times in 28 games.

Style of play

Everson plays as a

centre forward Forwards (also known as attackers) are outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals as well as assisting them. As with any attacking player, the role ...

, and York

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...

Gary Mills described his style of play saying: "He likes to score goals and has done that wherever he's been. He works very hard and gets in good areas".

Career statistics

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Everson, Ben 1987 births Living people Footballers from Middlesbrough English footballers English expatriate footballers Association football forwards Norton & Stockton Ancients F.C. players Shildon A.F.C. players Guisborough Town F.C. players El Paso Patriots players IMG Academy Bradenton players Midland-Odessa Sockers FC players Ben Everson Ben Everson York City F.C. players Gateshead F.C. players Ben Everson USL League Two players Ben Everson AFC Eskilstuna players Hawke's Bay United FC players 1. deild karla players Ben Everson English Football League players National League (English football) players Northern Football League players Expatriate soccer players in the United States Expatriate footballers in Iceland English expatriate sportspeople in the United States English expatriate sportspeople in Iceland English men's futsal players Alumni of Teesside University West Texas A&M University alumni University of Texas Permian Basin alumni