 Coker playing forSouthend United in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ben Coker[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1989-06-17)17 June 1989 (age 35)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Hatfield, England[2] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Defender/Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Barnet | ||
| Number | 3 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2005 | Cambridge United | ||
| 2005–2008 | Northampton Town | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007 | Ånge IF | (2) | |
| 2008 | Histon | 1 | (0) |
| 2008 | Barton Rovers | 2 | (0) |
| 2008–2010 | Bury Town | 66 | (17) |
| 2010–2013 | Colchester United | 41 | (0) |
| 2010 | →Chelmsford City (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2012 | →Histon (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2013 | Histon | 14 | (0) |
| 2013–2019 | Southend United | 186 | (4) |
| 2019–2020 | Lincoln City | 0 | (0) |
| 2020 | →Cambridge United (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2020 | →Stevenage (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2020–2022 | Stevenage | 74 | (1) |
| 2022–2023 | Solihull Moors | 28 | (1) |
| 2023– | Barnet | 44 | (2) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:32, 26 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
Ben Coker (born 17 June 1989) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as adefender ormidfielder forNational League clubBarnet.
In 2007, Coker spent time withsixth-tier Swedish clubÅnge IF,[3] scoring two goals.[4]
Coker joinedBury Town in October 2008 from fellowSouthern League sideBarton Rovers. He was previously withConference sideHiston. He impressed on his debut for Bury, earning the sponsors man of the match award.[5] Coker helped theSuffolk club win promotion to theIsthmian League.[6]
In summer 2010, Coker joinedColchester United after he impressed in a trial period at the end of 2009–10 season, having done well for non-league Bury Town during the 2009–10 campaign.[7] On 30 September 2010, Coker joinedChelmsford City on loan for a month.[8] The loan was extended by a further month and was given permission to play in anFA Cup tie againstHendon.[9]
On 14 January 2011, Coker made his debut for Colchester againstBournemouth in a 2–1 victory, providing assists for both goals.[10] He was awarded the Colchester United Young Player of the Year award at the end of the 2010–11 season, his first with the club.[11] On 15 May 2012, Coker signed a 12-month contract extension to see him through to summer 2013 with Colchester.[12] On 12 October 2012, Coker was loaned to former club Histon on a month-long deal.[13]
On 4 February 2013, Coker had his contract with Colchester cancelled by mutual consent having made only two first-team appearances in the2012–13 season.[14]
He returned toHiston permanently on 8 February 2013 following a loan spell earlier in the same season.[15]
Prior to the 2013–14 season, he played in three friendlies forSouthend United, impressing sufficiently in the games he played to be offered a contract by managerPhil Brown. On 16 April 2014, Coker signed a new two-year deal atSouthend United, keeping him contracted until June 2016,[16] and on 7 August 2015 this was extended for another 3 years[17] with an option for a further year.[18]
On 27 October 2018 he suffered a serious knee injury whilst playing for Southend against Sunderland, and did not play any more games that season.[19] His struggle to recover from the injury was the subject of a BBC documentary series entitled 'Coming Back'.[20] He never played any more games for Southend, and was released by them at the end of the 2018–19 season.
On 23 August 2019 it was announced that he had signed for Lincoln City.[21][22][23] He only played one cup game before being loaned to Cambridge United in January 2020.[24]
Coker signed a season-long loan at League Two clubStevenage on 7 August 2020.[25]
On 16 October 2020, he made his season-long loan permanent atStevenage.[26] Coker was released at the end of the2021–22 season.[27]
On 4 August 2022, Coker signed forNational League clubSolihull Moors on a one-year deal.[28] At the end of the2022–23 season, Coker was one of eight players to be released by the club.[29]
Coker joinedBarnet for the 2023-24 season.[30]
Coker developedtype 1 diabetes at the age of 15.[31]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Histon | 2008–09[32] | Conference Premier | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Colchester United | 2010–11[33] | League One | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| 2011–12[34] | League One | 20 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 | |
| 2012–13[35] | League One | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 41 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 1 | ||
| Chelmsford City (loan) | 2010–11[36] | Conference South | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| Histon (loan) | 2012–13[36] | Conference North | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2012–13[36] | Conference North | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||
| Total | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | |||
| Southend United | 2013–14[37] | League Two | 45 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[b] | 0 | 53 | 2 |
| 2014–15[38] | League Two | 32 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[c] | 0 | 37 | 1 | |
| 2015–16[39] | League One | 40 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[a] | 0 | 45 | 1 | |
| 2016–17[40] | League One | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 34 | 0 | |
| 2017–18[41] | League One | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | |
| 2018–19[42] | League One | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | |
| Total | 186 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 207 | 4 | ||
| Lincoln City | 2019–20[43] | League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Cambridge United (loan) | 2019–20[44] | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stevenage (loan) | 2020–21[45] | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Stevenage | 2020–21[46] | League Two | 38 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 1 |
| 2021–22[47] | League Two | 36 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1[a] | 0 | 41 | 1 | |
| Total | 74 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 84 | 2 | ||
| Solihull Moors | 2022–23[48] | National League | 28 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 2[e] | 0 | 33 | 1 | |
| Barnet | 2023–24[48] | National League | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 5[f] | 0 | 39 | 0 | |
| 2024–25[48] | National League | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | ||
| Total | 44 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 51 | 2 | ||
| Career totals | 394 | 8 | 20 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 22 | 0 | 444 | 11 | ||
Southend United
Individual
