 Thomas withNantes in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Benjamin Sorba William Thomas[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1999-01-25)25 January 1999 (age 26) | ||
| Place of birth | Barking, England[2] | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[3] | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Stoke City | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2012–2015 | West Ham United | ||
| 2015–2017 | Boreham Wood | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2021 | Boreham Wood | 77 | (8) |
| 2018 | →Cheshunt (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2021–2025 | Huddersfield Town | 114 | (7) |
| 2023 | →Blackburn Rovers (loan) | 17 | (0) |
| 2024–2025 | →Nantes (loan) | 25 | (1) |
| 2025– | Stoke City | 17 | (6) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021– | Wales | 23 | (1) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22:14, 25 November 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 20:59, l8 November 2025 (UTC) | |||
Benjamin Sorba William Thomas (born 25 January 1999) is a professionalfootballer who plays as awinger forEFL Championship clubStoke City and theWales national team.
After leaving theWest Ham United Academy at 16, Thomas played forNational League sideBoreham Wood until he was signed byChampionship sideHuddersfield Town in January 2021. Thomas helped the Terriers reach the2022 EFL Championship play-off final, losing toNottingham Forest. He spent time out on loan atBlackburn Rovers and FrenchLigue 1 sideNantes before joiningStoke City in June 2025.
Thomas was born inBarking, London and attended St Margaret's Primary School andEastbury Community School.[4] He played football for Barking & Dagenham District Schools team.[5] He began playing atWest Ham United's Academy before being released at 16.[6]
Thomas joined the youth academy ofBoreham Wood at the age of 16. He began his senior career at Boreham Wood aged 17. He was an instrumental part of the under-18 side that reached theFA Youth Cup second round in2016–17, which included a win overEnglish Football League sideNorthampton Town.[7] In January 2018, he spent a month on loan atIsthmian League North sideCheshunt.[7] Whilst in the youth team at Boreham Wood, Thomas worked atJD Sports inOxford Circus and also as ascaffolder.[8] Thomas made his debut in the first team in September 2017 and came on as a substitute in the2018 National League play-off final as Boreham Wood lost 2–1 toTranmere Rovers.[9] He became a regular underLuke Garrard in2018–19 and2019–20. His performances attracted the attentions ofEnglish Football League clubs and in January 2021 a bid was accepted by Boreham Wood fromHuddersfield Town.[9]
On 13 January 2021, Thomas signed a contract withHuddersfield Town until the end of 2023–24 season with the club having the option of a further year's extension.[10][11] He made his professional debut for Huddersfield in a 3–2EFL Championship loss toWycombe Wanderers on 13 February 2021.[12] In the first Championship game of the 2021–22 season, a 1–1 draw withDerby County on 7 August 2021, Thomas got his first assist, supplying a cross from a free kick which was headed in byNaby Sarr.[13] In the following game, a 5–1 home defeat toFulham, he overhit a backpass which ultimately resulted in Fulham's opening goal, but later provided the assist for Huddersfield's only goal from a corner kick,Matty Pearson scoring with a header.[13] On 28 August 2021, he scored his first goal (as well as providing two assists) in a 4–0 home victory againstReading: he took possession of the ball at the halfway line, dribbled into the penalty area and placed a low shot past the goalkeeper.[14][15] On 10 September 2021, Thomas was awardedEFL Championship Player of the Month for August 2021.[16] On 19 May 2022, one week before the2022 EFL Championship play-off final, Thomas signed a new long-term contract with the club until summer 2026 with the club option to extend for a further year.[17] Huddersfield lost the final 1–0 toNottingham Forest.[18]
In2022–23 Huddersfield struggled at the lower end of the Championship, and on 25 January 2023, Thomas joined play-off chasingBlackburn Rovers on loan for the remainder of the 2022–23 season.[19] He played 17 times for Rovers as they missed out on a top six finish on goal difference.[20] Thomas was a regular back at Huddersfield in2023–24, making 42 appearances, as the Terriers suffered relegation toLeague One.[21] On 30 July 2024, Thomas joined FrenchLigue 1 clubNantes on loan for the2024–25 season.[22] Thomas played 27 times for Les Canaris, scoring once in a 2–2 draw againstSaint-Étienne on 29 September 2024.[23]
Thomas joinedStoke City on 7 June 2025, signing a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[24]
In March 2020, Thomas was called up to theEngland C team for the first time for a fixture againstWales C team however this match was postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[25]
On 28 September 2021, Thomas was called up into the seniorWales squad for the first time for their2022 World Cup qualifiers againstCzech Republic andEstonia.[26] He made his international debut for Wales on 8 October 2021 as a second-half substitute in the 2–2 draw against Czech Republic,[27] and completed his first full 90 minutes three days later in the match against Estonia. In November 2022 he was named in the Wales squad for the2022 FIFA World Cup inQatar.[28] Thomas scored his first goal for Wales on 9 June 2025 in the 4-3 World Cup Qualifying match defeat to Belgium.[29]
Thomas was born in England to a Sierra Leonean father and Welsh mother.[2] He qualifies to play forWales through his mother who was born inNewport.[30]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Boreham Wood | 2017–18[31][32] | National League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5[c] | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2018–19[33] | National League | 32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 3[d] | 0 | 37 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20[34] | National League | 32 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | 3[e] | 0 | 36 | 5 | ||
| 2020–21[35] | National League | 10 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 | ||
| Total | 77 | 8 | 7 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | 95 | 8 | |||
| Cheshunt (loan) | 2017–18[36][37] | Isthmian League North | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| Huddersfield Town | 2020–21[35] | Championship | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | |||
| 2021–22[38] | Championship | 43 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3[f] | 0 | 51 | 3 | |
| 2022–23[39] | Championship | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 25 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24[40] | Championship | 41 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 42 | 4 | ||
| 2024–25[41] | League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 114 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 125 | 7 | ||
| Blackburn Rovers (loan) | 2022–23[39] | Championship | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 17 | 0 | |
| Nantes (loan) | 2024–25[41] | Ligue 1 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 1 | ||
| Stoke City | 2025–26[42] | Championship | 17 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 17 | 6 | |
| Career total | 252 | 22 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 283 | 22 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wales | 2021 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 9 | 1 | |
| Total | 23 | 1 | |
Scores and results list Wales' goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 June 2025 | King Baudouin Stadium,Brussels, Belgium | 18 |  Belgium | 2–3 | 3–4 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Individual
