 Osborn withNottingham Forest in 2016 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Benjamin Jarrod Osborn[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1994-08-05)5 August 1994 (age 30)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Derby, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.76 m)[3] | ||
| Position(s) | Left back,central midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Derby County | ||
| Number | 8 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2003 | Derby County | ||
| 2003–2013 | Nottingham Forest | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013–2019 | Nottingham Forest | 212 | (15) |
| 2019–2024 | Sheffield United | 115 | (5) |
| 2024– | Derby County | 25 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2012 | England U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 2012 | England U19 | 3 | (0) |
| 2015 | England U20 | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 March 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 29 March 2015 | |||
Benjamin Jarrod Osborn (born 5 August 1994[3]) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as aleft-back orcentral midfielder forEFL Championship clubDerby County.
He started his career atNottingham Forest, he then joinedSheffield United for an undisclosed fee in 2019, before leaving the club on a free transfer forDerby County in June 2024.
Internationally, he has representedEngland national youth football teams, atunder-18,under-19, andunder-20 levels.[4]
Born inDerby, England, Osborn began playing football when he joinedDerby County.[5] Having been released after one season, he joinedrivalsNottingham Forest'syouth academy at the age of nine. In his first season with the U18 squad, he was frequently used as aleft back.[6] In April 2012, Osborn was voted the club's Academy Player of the Year and was awarded with a new contract the following month.[7] Following an injury toGonzalo Jara, Osborn was promoted to the Forest first team[8] and made his debut for the club in theChampionship on 29 March 2014, playing inmidfield for the full 90 minutes of a 1–1 away draw withIpswich Town.[9] Although his debut resulted in a draw, Osborn expressed his delight to make his debut via Twitter.[10] After making eight appearances for the club in the2013–14 season, it was announced on 29 April that Osborn had signed a new five-year contract with the club.[11]
"No matter what was going on around him, he showed the character and determination. He was unshakable. He had the mentality to say 'do you know what, I am going to go and play my game, regardless of the pressure on this team'. Sometimes as a young man, you can do that. He has done himself no harm in my eyes, during my time at the club."Stuart Pearce on Osborn[12]
Following an impressive pre-season campaign, which included two goals againstIlkeston, Osborn became a prominent member of the first team squad under managerStuart Pearce at the beginning of the2014–15 season[13][14] and was given a number thirty-eight shirt.[15] In the absence of regular midfieldersHenri Lansbury andDavid Vaughan through injury, Osborn featured as a substitute in three of Forest's first four league games and started both their first and second-round games in theLeague Cup.[16] His performances led Pearce to believe that Osborn had the potential to be a key player for the club.[12] Osborn's first senior goal for Forest was a 92nd-minute winner from 18 yards againstfierce local rivals and his hometown club Derby County atPride Park Stadium on 17 January 2015.[17] Three weeks later on 7 February 2015, Osborn scored his second goal of the season, and setting up the first two goals, in a 3–2 win overBrighton & Hove Albion[18] and his third goal of the season later came on 28 February 2015, in a 3–0 win overReading.[19] Osborn finished the 2014–15 season having made forty appearances and scoring three times in all competitions. Osborn was also awarded the club's Goal of the Season, which he scored against Derby County on 17 January 2015[20] and nominated for the Nottinghamshire Professional Footballer of the Year, but lost out to his then-teammateAndy Reid.[21]
At the start of the 2015–16 season, Osborn did not feature under the new management ofDougie Freedman due to a lack of form[22] and appeared in his first match of the season, a 1–1 draw againstBolton Wanderers, on 22 August 2015.[23] During a match againstMiddlesbrough on 19 September 2015, which they lost 2–1,[24] Osborn suffered a groin injury and was substituted at half-time.[25] After a month on the sidelines, Osborn made his first team return on 31 October 2015 as a substitute forChris Burke in the 59th minute, in a 0–1 loss againstSheffield Wednesday.[26] On 1 January 2016, Osborn scored his first goal for the season in a 1–1 draw withCharlton Athletic.[27] For his performance against Charlton Athletic, Osborn was votedMan of the Match by fans.[28] On 16 February 2016, having made twenty-three appearances and scored one goal for Forest during theseason, Osborn won theFootball League Young Player of the Month award for January 2016.[29][30] After winning the award, Osborn was praised by Freedman as an "exceptional talent" and "fully committed with lots of heart".[29] Osborn later added two more goals in the 2015–16 season againstBristol City[31] and Reading.[32] In the last game of the season Osborn provided two assists, as Nottingham Forest beat already relegatedMilton Keynes Dons 2–1.[33] Osborn finished the 2015–16 season having made thirty-eight appearances and scoring three times.
"It was a bit of a shock. I have seen some of the players who have won it and there are some great players. It's good recognition for the way I have been playing... I have progressed and definitely got better, both physically and technically."Osborn on winning theFootball League Young Player of the Month award.[29]
The 2016–17 season saw Osborn switch shirt numbers from 38 to 11,[34] which had been vacated by the retirement of Andy Reid, and additionally saw him sign a contract extension, keeping him at Forest until 2020.[35] Osborn made his first start of the 2016–17 season in the opening game of the season, a 4–3 win overBurton Albion, which was also the first competitive match ofPhilippe Montanier's tenure as manager.[36] Osborn's first goal of the season came on his ninety-ninth league appearance for Forest during a 5–2 win overBarnsley atOakwell.[37] On 29 November, Osborn was linked toPremier League clubsWatford andSwansea City.[38] Shortly after, Osborn made his 100th league appearance for Forest in a 2–1 defeat ofNewcastle United on 2 December. On 21 January 2017 Osborn scored the only goal of the game against Bristol City with a "moment of magic", to end a winless run of eight games for Forest that had ultimately cost Montanier his job. AfterMatty Cash laid off a free-kick, Osborn flicked the ball up and volleyed it past City goalkeeperFabian Giefer for his second goal of the season.[39] The goal was nominated for the Dream Moment of the Month of January, while Osborn himself was selected as Forest's Player of the Month.[40] Osborn would score twice more, with goals against Sheffield Wednesday and Brighton & Hove Albion, to finish the season with four goals in forty-nine appearances.[41]
On 26 July 2019, Osborn joined newly promotedPremier League sideSheffield United on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.[42][43] In a five-year spell at United, Osborn scored five goals in 134 appearances.[44]
On 28 June 2024, Osborn signed a two-year contract at his hometown club,Derby County, after the expiry of his contract at Sheffield United at the end of June.[45] On 9 August, he made his debut for the club in a 2–4 loss againstBlackburn Rovers in the league.[46] In the first two months of the season; Osborn picked-up two injuries, which restricted his game time.[47][48]
Born inDerby, England, Osborn is eligible to play forEngland and was first called up byEngland U18 on 6 March 2012.[49] Osborn made his England U18 debut the next day, in a 3–0 win overPoland U18, which turns out to be his only appearance.[citation needed]
Osborn was called up byEngland U19 on 20 September 2012[50] Osborn made his England U19 debut on 26 September 2012, playing 45 minutes, in a 3–0 win overEstonia U19.[51] Osborn went on to make two more appearances againstFaroe Islands U19[52] andUkraine U19.
Osborn was called up byEngland U20 for the first time on 20 March 2015[53] Osborn made his England U20 debut six days later, playing 69 minutes, againstMexico U20 and went on to win 4–2 in penalty shoot-out after game was 1–1.[54]
Born inDerby, England, Osborn attendedWest Park School inSpondon.[55] He grew up supporting Derby County and has twin sisters, Bethan and Holly Osborn.[5]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Nottingham Forest | 2013–14[56] | Championship | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |
| 2014–15[57] | Championship | 37 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 40 | 3 | ||
| 2015–16[58] | Championship | 36 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 38 | 3 | ||
| 2016–17[41] | Championship | 46 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 49 | 4 | ||
| 2017–18[59] | Championship | 46 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 51 | 4 | ||
| 2018–19[60] | Championship | 39 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | 44 | 2 | ||
| Total | 212 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 1 | — | 230 | 16 | |||
| Sheffield United | 2019–20[61] | Premier League | 13 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 18 | 0 | |
| 2020–21[62] | Premier League | 24 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 27 | 1 | ||
| 2021–22[63] | Championship | 34 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 39 | 3 | |
| 2022–23[64] | Championship | 20 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 24 | 1 | ||
| 2023–24[65] | Premier League | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 26 | 0 | ||
| Total | 115 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 134 | 5 | ||
| Derby County | 2024–25[66] | Championship | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 26 | 0 | |
| Career total | 352 | 20 | 17 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 390 | 21 | ||
Individual
