Ben Harding

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Ben Harding

| image = BenHarding1.JPG

| upright = 0.7

| caption = Harding playing for Aldershot Town in 2010

| fullname = Benjamin Scott Harding

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|9|6|df=y}}

| birth_place = Carshalton, England

| height = {{height|ft=6|in=3}}

| position = Midfielder

| youthyears1 = 2001–2003

| youthclubs1 = Wimbledon

| currentclub = Truro City

| clubnumber =

| years1 = 2003–2004 | clubs1 = Wimbledon | caps1 = 15 | goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2004–2007 | clubs2 = Milton Keynes Dons | caps2 = 36 | goals2 = 6

| years3 = 2005–2006 | clubs3 = → Forest Green Rovers (loan) | caps3 = 9 | goals3 = 1

| years4 = 2006 | clubs4 = → Aldershot Town (loan) | caps4 = 15 | goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2007 | clubs5 = → Grays Athletic (loan) | caps5 = 18 | goals5 = 1

| years6 = 2007–2011 | clubs6 = Aldershot Town | caps6 = 143 | goals6 = 10

| years7 = 2011–2012 | clubs7 = Wycombe Wanderers | caps7 = 7 | goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2012 | clubs8 = → Northampton Town (loan) | caps8 = 5 | goals8 = 0

| years9 = 2012–2013 | clubs9 = Northampton Town | caps9 = 42 | goals9 = 2

| years10 = 2013–2015 | clubs10 = Torquay United | caps10 = 34 | goals10 = 0

| years11 = 2015–2017 | clubs11 = Gosport Borough | caps11 = 60 | goals11 = 1

| years12 = 2017– | clubs12 = Truro City | caps12 = 52 | goals12 = 3

| nationalyears1 = 2008

| nationalteam1 = England C

| nationalcaps1 = 3

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| manageryears1 = 2018 | managerclubs1 = Truro City (interim)

| club-update = 01:32, 3 March 2019 (UTC)

}}

Benjamin Scott Harding (born 6 September 1984) is an English professional footballer who plays for as a midfielder Truro City.

Club career

=Wimbledon and Milton Keynes Dons=

Harding began his career at Wimbledon and signed terms with them in October 2001. He made his debut in November 2003, and made 42 league appearances before signing a new two-year deal in August 2005.{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wimbledon/4167434.stm| title=Harding signs new deal with Dons | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=19 August 2005 | date=19 August 2005}} In November 2005, Harding was loaned to Forest Green Rovers for two months.{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/forest_green_rovers/4427906.stm| title=Harding moves on loan to Rovers | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=11 November 2005 | date=11 November 2005}} Injuries limited him to just 10 appearances for the now renamed MK Dons over the remainder of the 2005–6 season.

The following season, Harding was loaned out to the Conference National sides Aldershot Town and Grays Athletic.{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/g/grays_athletic/6227385.stm| title=Grays snap up Fernandez & Harding | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=3 January 2007 | date=3 January 2007}} At the end of the season he was released by the MK Dons and he returned to Aldershot Town as a trialist.

=Aldershot Town=

Harding impressed in the trials and signed a contract in August 2007.{{cite news|url=http://www.theshots.co.uk/newspage.ink?nid=28748&newstype=n&matchid= |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070502185936/http://www.theshots.co.uk/newspage.ink?nid=28748&newstype=n&matchid= |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 May 2007 |title=Grays Squad Boosted Ahead of Kiddy Encounter |publisher=Aldershot Town Official Website |accessdate=6 August 2007 }} He was an ever-present and instrumental player in the 2007–08 league campaign, as Aldershot Town won the Conference National title and the Conference League Cup. He was also one of five Aldershot Town players, that were named in the Conference Select XI Team of the Year.{{cite news|url=http://www.theshots.co.uk/newspage.ink?nid=29945&newstype=n&matchid= |title=Shots Receive Awards at Conference Weekend |publisher=Aldershot Town Official Website |accessdate=9 June 2008 }}{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} At the end of the season, Harding signed a new two-year contract, which would keep him at the Recreation Ground until the end of the 2009–10 season.{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/aldershot/7374105.stm| title= Aldershot pair sign new contracts | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=29 April 2008 | date=29 April 2008}}

Harding made his 100th appearance for Aldershot Town in the home game against Wycombe Wanderers in December 2008. He tore an achilles in February 2009, which sidelined him for the remainder of season.

=Wycombe Wanderers=

On 23 May 2011, Harding signed a two-year contract with recently promoted League One side Wycombe Wanderers.{{cite web |url=http://www.wycombewanderers.co.uk/page/LatestNews/0,,10430~2365113,00.html |title=Wycombe Wanderers | News | Latest News | Latest News |accessdate=23 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329063613/http://www.wycombewanderers.co.uk/page/LatestNews/0%2C%2C10430~2365113%2C00.html |archivedate=29 March 2012}}

=Northampton Town=

After a month on loan at Sixfields, Harding joined Northampton Town, permanently signing an 18-month deal on deadline day.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16815166|title=Northampton Town sign Clarke Carlisle and Ben Harding|date=31 January 2012|publisher=BBC Football|accessdate=5 February 2012}}

=Torquay United=

On 13 July 2013, Harding signed for Torquay United on a two-year contract, becoming Alan Knill's fifth signing of the summer.

=Truro City=

On 28 July 2017, Harding signed for Truro City on a one-year contract, becoming Lee Hodges's second signing of the summer after Ben Gerring's release from Torquay United. On 8 August 2018, Harding was appointed interim manager of Truro, following Lee Hodges' resignation.{{cite web|title=Lee Hodges: Truro City boss resigns after just two games of the season|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45110952|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=10 August 2018|date=8 August 2018}}

International career

Harding's performances at Aldershot Town gained him an England C call up and debut in February 2008.{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/aldershot/7253741.stm| title= Harding surprised by England call | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=20 February 2008 | date=20 February 2008}} Harding was also part of the England C squad, that won the Four Nations Tournament in May 2008.{{cite news | url=http://www.thefa.com/England/EnglandCTeam/NewsAndFeatures/2009/wales_report.aspx| title= Lions win Tournament | publisher=TheFA.com | accessdate=24 May 2008 }}