Kyle Bennett ready to rediscover his football spark at AFC Telford
Kyle Bennett is determined to enjoy his football again after returning home to Telford to turn out for his local club.
The experienced winger, 30, has chalked up almost 350 league appearances in an impressive career and admits things have fallen into place perfectly for a first stint at his hometown club.
Bennett was contracted to League One club Bristol Rovers last season and spent some of the term on loan at Grimsby Town in League Two. He spent much of the summer on trial at National League outfit Notts County, where a deal did not quite suit all parties, but the opportunity of a reset and a fresh start back at home, surrounded by family and friends, was too good to pass up.
Things sped up after a chance meeting with Gavin Cowan in Telford Town Park. Former England under-18 international Bennett said: “I was training at Notts County and things didn’t really match up, with it being full-time and stuff.
“I’m moving back here, I’ve got a bit of a situation going on back home, stuff like that, private stuff, so moving back to Telford is something I was doing anyway. It’s matched up perfectly.”
Bennett insisted he is ‘not writing off’ a return to full-time football, in the Football League if possible, but his immediate goal is helping bring AFC Telford success.
The former Wolves youngster and Thomas Telford student, a promotion winner at Bury, Doncaster and Portsmouth, added: “I think that’s what football is about, enjoying it. You go through stages in your career and there’s a lot of lows in football, more lows than highs, it’s an emotional rollercoaster.
“Sometimes you do – not fall out of love with football because you’ll always love football – but the generics and politics of football that happen.
“So it’s nice to come here, with stuff going on (privately) to not be fully 100 per cent focused on football, I can play part-time, have my head in other places, which is going to help.”
Bennett was joined by proud mum Tracey and his two young daughters, aged four and six, to confirm his contract at the New Bucks Head on Thursday.
It is possibly something of a surreal summer for the family, with Elliott, 32 – the second of three sons – having joined Shrewsbury Town from Blackburn – albeit, unlike Kyle, Elliott remained in Shropshire and comuted to Lancashire and Ewood Park.
Lawley-based Kyle added: “It’s probably quite overwhelming for my old dear, obviously Elliott’s back here and me coming back for a longer period, it’ll be nice for everyone. To just see my friends and pop down the road, for them to come and see me play.”
Cowan’s Telford kicked off their National League North campaign on the road at Darlington today.
