Fredrick: Who is Brentford’s new man?
Benjamin Fredrick, who recently signed a four-year contract with Brentford with an option for an additional year, is already being predicted to be one of Nigeria's best defenders in the coming years, according to TalkTalk Nigeria Sports Extra.
It is an excellent move for the Nigerian youth, highlighting his potential. Fredrick was born in Ungwan Yelwa, Kaduna State, and grew up in the town of Television before being scouted at the age of 13 from his father's team by Simoiben Football Academy, which is founded by Nigerian winger Moses Simon, five years ago.
After moving to Simoiben's senior levels, Fredrick was loaned to ABS FC in the Nigeria National League and Nasarawa United in the Nigeria Premier League, where he appeared six times.
His impressive efforts earned him a spot on Nigeria's U-20 World Cup roster last summer, when they advanced to the quarterfinals before losing 1-0 to South Korea.
At the age of 17, Frederick appeared in four U-20 World Cup games and six U-20 Africa Cup of Nations games as Nigeria finished third.
His next journey took him to west London, where he signed with Brentford B on August 31, 2023, nine months after the 18-year-old immediately settled into the young Bees' backline, earning him a permanent contract on Tuesday.
He made his Brentford debut as a member of the U-18 side in a 2-0 loss against Wingate & Finchley in the London Senior Cup, playing the entire 90 minutes.
Fredrick has now played entire games in two consecutive Premier League Cup matches against Burnley and Leicester City, as well as 83 minutes in a friendly against West Ham, demonstrating his early impact and impressions on Neil MacFarlane and his coaching staff.
He has trained with the first team on several times and has been named as a substitute in Brentford's Premier League games against Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as both Emirates FA Cup third-round meetings against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Fredrick commented on his permanent move to the club, saying, "Signing permanently for Brentford is a tremendous moment for me and my family, and I want to thank everyone who started this adventure with me.
"Neil and the rest of the coaching staff have been really patient and supportive throughout the season, and they have helped me develop into a stronger, more confident player.
"I want to repay the club's trust in me by continuing to do my best and pushing to even greater heights."
But his path to stardom was not simple. As a young footballer in Nigeria, Fredrick had to 'hustle to buy boots for himself' as he began his career in the sport he loves.
"Coming up in Nigeria is not easy," Fredrick explained.
"Without a sponsor or assistance, you must rely on your own efforts to purchase boots..." Most of the time, my father did not have enough money to buy boots for me, therefore hustle to buy boots for myself.
“My hard work has brought me so far; it was not really easy, but my hard work and prayer have brought me so far, and I’m thankful for that.”
The emerging star styles his game after Sevilla's Sergio Ramos, who has a winning mindset, which Fredrick emulates in his own game.
"I look up to Sergio Ramos; he is my role model. "I admire his mentality on and off the field," Fredrick added.
"When I'm on the pitch, I always want to play like Ramos, because he despises losing. I detest losing; I always want to win."
While Fredrick has made a smooth transition to life as a Brentford player, he admits the move to London has been difficult at times. However, his passion of the game has helped him adjust to his new surroundings and grow from strength to strength.
"Football has always been my life; I've loved it since I was small; it has always been part of me,” Fredrick said.
