Benjamin Interview

[davieG]

Trevor Benjamin assessed Leicester City's stumbling form this week and admitted: "It wouldn't be them if they didn't have a little wobble."

But the former City striker is still backing his old club to make it into the Championship after a season in the League One wilderness.

He said: "They will definitely be promoted and they've been winning most weeks, which is a mentality which will help them when they get to the bigger grounds in the Championship next season."

City face another of Benjamin's former clubs, Hereford, tomorrow and he said: "There will always be highs and lows, but Nigel Pearson has steadied the ship at Leicester and I like him. He has done a good job."

Benjamin believes Hereford are destined for the drop, standing 11 points adrift of safety, but they will make life difficult for City at Edgar Street.

document.getElementById('article-detail-impact-tile').innerHTML = document.getElementById('INVarticle-detail-impact-tile').innerHTML;document.getElementById('INVarticle-detail-impact-tile').innerHTML = ''; He said: "Hereford have always had a good reputation for bringing in loan players, but it's not really worked this time.

"To be realistic, I don't think they will stay up, but I'm sure they will bounce back.

"But their situation won't make tomorrow's game any easier for City – they will give it a go and teams do raise their game when they face Leicester.

"Edgar Street can be a pretty hostile place. It's a good old-fashioned ground and their fans will get behind them."

Benjamin did well at Hereford with 10 goals in 34 games as the Bulls gained automatic promotion from League Two in 2007-08.

He said: "I had a good time there, did all right and we did the job and got promoted."

Benjamin had played at 13 other clubs on his way to Edgar Street, including Peterborough, Coventry, Watford, Walsall and, of course, Leicester.

Benjamin, now 30, enjoyed a promotion party when Micky Adams guided City back into the top flight in the 2002-03 campaign. But he will also be inexorably linked with Peter Taylor, who signed him from Cambridge United, where he first tasted League action as a 16-year-old.

Taylor made a good start and Leicester were Premier League leaders for two weeks in October 2000, but nine defeats in their final 10 fixtures – and the shock FA Cup defeat to Wycombe – saw them tumble to 13th spot.

Taylor was relieved of his duties two months into the 2001-02 campaign and Benjamin said: "Managers have good and bad times, and it didn't work out for Peter as well as I thought it would.

"It was always going to be difficult coming in after Martin O'Neill.

"The fans loved Martin and they started to compare, but that was all too soon.

"Peter gave it everything, but it wasn't enough and that's just one of those things.

"I learned from him and he was a good coach. I had done well at Cambridge and he came in for me and was good with the young lads."

Benjamin said he loved his time at Leicester, adding: "I didn't score as many goals as I would have liked (11 in 81 appearances), but I worked my socks off and I think the fans appreciated that I always gave 110 per cent in a Leicester shirt.

"It's still the second result I look for after my main team, Arsenal, and I've still got a house in the city."

During his time at Leicester, Benjamin also had a much-publicised bust-up with Stan Collymore during half-time of a reserve game.

Collymore, writing in his autobiography, said the fracas with Benjamin "sent chairs and tables flying", and effectively ended his career at City.

Benjamin said: "I'm not going into that here – I'm saving it for my book."

Benjamin, who also runs his own cleaning and maintenance business, still plies his trade as a striker, now with Unibond One South outfit Kidsgrove Athletic.

He said: "It's not about yourself, it could have backfired coming here but I'm enjoying it.

"The Unibond is an underestimated league, a lot of the teams try to play football and there are some very decent lads around."

Peter Ward, Benjamin's current manager at Kidsgrove, said: "He's doing really well for us here.

"He's a down-to-earth lad who mixes well and certainly he's no big-time Charlie.

"Our results have improved since he arrived and it's been a big coup for us.

"It was a big decision for him to come and play in the Unibond as he was putting his reputation on the line.

"He's had some stick – the Shepshed fans were calling him Leicester reject last week – but he's coped with it well."

[Father Ted]

Just shows really. From playing against Man Utd and Liverpool in the premiership to playing against Shepshed in the Unibond league 5 years later...

Leicester reject

I feel sorry for him to be honest, Peter Taylor should have known that he couldn't make it at Prem level and yet another career ruined by Taylor.

[Darkzzz_]

Super Trev!

[lildave3]

Hero.

[lou]

His goal at Derby was just one of the best moments in recent years

Oh Trevor, Trevor!! Trevor Trevor Trevor Trevor Benjamin!!!!!!!

Lovely lovely guy too.

[filbertway]

His goal against pompey was awesome!

[CosbehFox]

His header at RovRum will firmly be my moment with him. I come off his shoulder but still went in.

I like him because he's simply a bloke who wants to play football. He worked his cob for us regardless of ability. He gets my respect for that considering the past few seasons.

[Nationwider]

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To conduct part of your interview in HTML is mighty impressive of the big fella.

[Finnegan]

To conduct part of your interview in HTML is mighty impressive of the big fella.

Back on track though, utter hero and a really decent bloke. Hope it works out for him after football. The book might be worth a read.

[Jordan]

Trevor in the commentary booth for BBC Radio Leicester, please.