Date: Mon 24 Oct 2022

By Steve Whitney

Turner Forced to Hang Up His Boots

It has been announced that Ben Turner, recently appointed as assistant manager to Jamie Ward at Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central club Ilkeston Town, is having to retire from the playing side of the game.

The 34-year-old suffered another ankle injury that requires surgery and having already undergone nine previous operations on the same ankle, he has decided to now concentrate on his coaching and assisting Ward.

Turner joined Ilkeston in May from former Northern Premier League rivals Buxton.

He had signed for the Bucks in July 2021 from Vanarama National League side Notts County, where he had been since July 2019.

He amassed almost 300 League appearances and has played in each of England’s top four tiers.

He was most recently with League Two side Mansfield Town having started his career with Coventry City, making his professional debut aged 18 in April 2006.

He joined Peterborough United on loan for the first part of the following season before returning to the Ricoh Arena in January and spending a short time at Oldham Athletic.

In 2007/08 he began to establish himself in the Coventry team. He stayed with the Sky Blues until the summer of 2011 when Cardiff City parted with a reported £750,000 to secure his services.

He enjoyed a hugely successful first season with the Bluebirds as they reached the final of the League Cup, where he scored a dramatic equaliser deep into extra-time to send the tie to penalties. They were ultimately beaten by Liverpool.

The defender made 43 appearances during that campaign as Cardiff also qualified for the Championship play-offs but lost to West Ham in the semi-finals.

The Bluebirds won the title the following season and he made 31 Premier League appearances during 2013/14.

Injuries restricted him to just 19 appearances in all competitions over the next two campaigns with a loan at former club Coventry preceding his release from Cardiff in June 2016.

From there he moved to Burton Albion and made 99 appearances before joining Mansfield for the second half of 2018/19.

Ilkeston Town Web Site

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