Former Flying Eagles defender Benjamin Fredrick was recently named the Player of the Year for Brentford’s Under-21 team, and he has revealed that his next target is to make his debut for the senior team, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 19-year-old center-back was one of the best players in the former Flying Eagles squad that finished third at the 2023 Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations and reached the quarterfinals of the FIFA Under-20 World Cup.
Shortly after the World Cup, English Premier League club Brentford signed Fredrick for the youth team. He joined on loan initially, but the transfer was made permanent last year.
On Tuesday, the club announced that Fredrick had been voted as the Player of the Season for the U-21 team after an impressive campaign.
In an interview on Brentford TV afterwards, Fredrick expressed elation at winning the award.
“It's a great feeling, my teammates choosing me as the Player of Season. It's not easy for me player. I'm grateful to all my mates and my teammates,” Fredrick said, per Brentford TV.
When asked about his target for next season, Fredrick said, “Making my debut next season, that's my target for next season.”
Benjamin Fredrick reflects on being chosen by his teammates for Under-21s Players' Player of the Year#BrentfordFC pic.twitter.com/Tt1kcdHRtG
— Brentford Academy (@BrentfordFCPDP) May 20, 2025
Fredrick has been named in Brentford's matchday squad multiple times this season, but coach Thomas Fran has not given him minutes.
Benjamin Fredrick: Is it time to draft Brentford star into the Super Eagles squad
Currently, Nigeria lacks top center-backs, as the best are Calvin Bassey and William Troost-Ekong, who is already in the twilight of his career.
So right now, coach Eric Chelle has to start looking at options who can give them a good run for their money. With the growth that Fredrick has shown, he will likely get his debut at Brentford next season.
Hence, in the coming months, he is a player that Chelle and scouting team should be monitoring. If he is good enough, he definitely deserves a look-in.
