Brentford sign young Nigerian sensation from Simoiben FC, Kaduna

Brentford have completed the signing of the Nigerian under-20 defender, Benjamin Fredrick, on loan from Simoiben FC, Kaduna, until the end of the 2023/24 season.

The deal is subject to international clearance, according to the Premier League club, and there is also the possibility to make the signing permanent.

Brentford noted that the centre defender will play for Neil MacFarlane’s B squad this season.

Benjamin played for Nigeria at the Under-20 World Cup earlier this summer, when they advanced to the quarterfinals before losing 1-0 to South Korea.

He has been a regular for the Flying Eagles in recent months, having played 11 times at U20 level since he made his appearance at the age of 17.

In addition to four appearances in this year’s U20 World Cup, he also appeared six times as Nigeria finished third in the U20 Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year.

In recent seasons, the 18-year-old defender has also had loan spells with other Nigerian clubs such as ABS FC of Ilorin and Nasawara United.

Commenting on the move, Brentford B head coach Neil MacFarlane said: “Benjamin is a player who has been identified by our recruitment department and he’s a real prospect having impressed for Nigeria in recent tournaments.

“He’s a very tenacious player who likes to defend on the front foot. He’s somebody we will look to develop through our games programme, and we’ll see how his development progresses over the course of his loan. We look forward to welcoming Benjamin to the club.”