Daniel Bennett
Encyclopedia
Daniel Mark Bennett is a professional soccer player who plays for the Singapore national football team
, and for the Singapore Armed Forces Football Club
(SAFFC) in Singapore
's S.League
. He was born a British
citizen, but changed his nationality to Singapore
an in 2002 in order to play international football for Singapore. He was a key member of the Singapore teams which won the ASEAN Football Championship (formerly known as the 'Tiger Cup') in 2004 and 2007. He has also won four S.League
titles with SAFFC, and was named the S.League's 'Player of the Year' in 2001. He played for Wrexham in the English Football League
from 2001-3, and helped the club win the FAW Premier Cup
in 2003.
at Singapore's National Stadium
. He had a goal disallowed that day (an effort that he still maintains was a legitimate goal). He scored his first international goal against Hong Kong
on 4 August 2003.
Bennett was a key member of the Singapore teams which won the 2005 Tiger Cup (defeating Indonesia
in the final), and the 2007 ASEAN Football Championship
(defeating Thailand
in the final).
in the Singapore Premier League
as a 17 year-old in 1995, before he left Singapore to study at Loughborough University
in the UK. He then returned to Singapore, and played in the S.League for Balestier Central
from 1999–2000, and for Tanjong Pagar United
in 2001. He won the S.League's 'Player of the Year' award at the end of the 2001 season.
Bennett then had a stint playing for Wrexham in the English football league. He helped the club win the FAW Premier Cup in 2003.
Bennett briefly returned to the S.League in 2002, playing 11 games for SAFFC during their title-winning season. He then returned to Singapore permanently in 2003 and joined SAFFC. He moved to Woodlands Wellington
in 2005, before rejoining SAFFC in 2007. He was part of the SAFFC teams which won the S.League and Singapore Cup
double in 2007 and 2008.
During the 2007 Singapore Cup final against Tampines Rovers
, Bennett was involved in a clash with Noh Alam Shah (a Tampines Rovers striker and fellow Singapore national team player) during which Alam Shah kneed Bennett in the head in a tussle for the ball and, after being dragged away by his team-mates, returned and kicked Bennett in the head. Bennett was knocked unconscious and had to be taken to hospital while Alam Shah was sent off. SAFFC ultimately won the match 4-3. The incident resulted in Alam Shah receiving a 12 month ban (reduced to 7 months on appeal).
and the United World College of South East Asia
(where his father, Andrew Bennett, was a teacher and later Headmaster until 2004), before going on to study at Loughborough University.
Bennett is married to Cherry, a woman from China
whom he met in Singapore.
Singapore national football team
The Singapore national football team is the national association football team of Singapore. The team comes under the organization of the Football Association of Singapore...
, and for the Singapore Armed Forces Football Club
Singapore Armed Forces Football Club
The Singapore Armed Forces Football Club is a professional football club that represents the Singapore Armed Forces and plays in the top-tier S.League. Singapore Armed Forces Football Club was officially established on 16 February 1996...
(SAFFC) in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
's S.League
S.League
The S.League is the top men's professional association football league in Singapore. The league was launched in 1996 and currently involves 12 clubs.-History:...
. He was born a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
citizen, but changed his nationality to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
an in 2002 in order to play international football for Singapore. He was a key member of the Singapore teams which won the ASEAN Football Championship (formerly known as the 'Tiger Cup') in 2004 and 2007. He has also won four S.League
S.League
The S.League is the top men's professional association football league in Singapore. The league was launched in 1996 and currently involves 12 clubs.-History:...
titles with SAFFC, and was named the S.League's 'Player of the Year' in 2001. He played for Wrexham in the English Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
from 2001-3, and helped the club win the FAW Premier Cup
FAW Premier Cup
The FAW Premier Cup is a defunct Welsh football cup competition, organised annually by the Football Association of Wales from 1997 to 2008...
in 2003.
International career
Bennett made his debut for the Singapore national team on 11 December 2002 against the PhilippinesPhilippines national football team
The Philippines national football team is the national football team of the Philippines and represents the country in international football. The team is controlled by the Philippine Football Federation , the governing body of football in the Philippines....
at Singapore's National Stadium
National Stadium, Singapore
The Singapore National Stadium was located in Kallang. Opened in July 1973, the National Stadium was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and has demolished to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub and New Singapore National Stadium which is expected to open in 2014.The stadium has played host to...
. He had a goal disallowed that day (an effort that he still maintains was a legitimate goal). He scored his first international goal against Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
on 4 August 2003.
Bennett was a key member of the Singapore teams which won the 2005 Tiger Cup (defeating Indonesia
Indonesia national football team
The Indonesia national football team represents Indonesia in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Indonesia . Prior to independence in 1945, the team competed as the Dutch East Indies national football team. Under this name, Indonesia was the first Asian team to...
in the final), and the 2007 ASEAN Football Championship
2007 ASEAN Football Championship
The 2007 ASEAN Football Championship was the 6th ASEAN Football Championship, hosted by Singapore and Thailand....
(defeating Thailand
Thailand national football team
The Thailand national football team represents Thailand in international football competition and is governed by the Football Association of Thailand. The team has a history of success in Southeast Asian competition, with three ASEAN Football Championship titles and nine senior-level Southeast...
in the final).
Club career
Bennett had a stint playing for Tiong BahruTanjong Pagar United FC
Tanjong Pagar United Football Club is a professional football club in Singapore. The club took part in Singapore's S.League from 1996 to 2004. The club withdrew from the S.League after the 2004 season because of financial problems but returned to the S.League in 2011.Prior to the formation of the...
in the Singapore Premier League
FAS Premier League
The Football Association of Singapore Premier League is a now-defunct football league competition held in Singapore between 1988 and 1995. During that period, it was the top tier of the Singapore football league structure...
as a 17 year-old in 1995, before he left Singapore to study at Loughborough University
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
in the UK. He then returned to Singapore, and played in the S.League for Balestier Central
Balestier Khalsa FC
Balestier Khalsa Football Club is a professional football club which plays in Singapore's S.League. The club is a merger of two clubs who played in the S.League in past years – Balestier Central FC and Clementi Khalsa FC – who came together at the end of the 2002 season...
from 1999–2000, and for Tanjong Pagar United
Tanjong Pagar United FC
Tanjong Pagar United Football Club is a professional football club in Singapore. The club took part in Singapore's S.League from 1996 to 2004. The club withdrew from the S.League after the 2004 season because of financial problems but returned to the S.League in 2011.Prior to the formation of the...
in 2001. He won the S.League's 'Player of the Year' award at the end of the 2001 season.
Bennett then had a stint playing for Wrexham in the English football league. He helped the club win the FAW Premier Cup in 2003.
Bennett briefly returned to the S.League in 2002, playing 11 games for SAFFC during their title-winning season. He then returned to Singapore permanently in 2003 and joined SAFFC. He moved to Woodlands Wellington
Woodlands Wellington FC
Woodlands Wellington Football Club is a professional football club that plays in Singapore's professional football league, the S.League.The team's home ground is the Woodlands Stadium, which is at the northern part of Singapore...
in 2005, before rejoining SAFFC in 2007. He was part of the SAFFC teams which won the S.League and Singapore Cup
Singapore Cup
The Singapore Cup is an annual soccer competition in Singapore.The Singapore Cup is the major cup competition in Singapore football, and has existed since the 1997 ....
double in 2007 and 2008.
During the 2007 Singapore Cup final against Tampines Rovers
Tampines Rovers FC
Tampines Rovers Football Club are a professional association football club based in Tampines, Singapore, that play in the S.League. Founded in 1945, they have won the national league championship five times, the Singapore Cup thrice and the ASEAN Club Championship once...
, Bennett was involved in a clash with Noh Alam Shah (a Tampines Rovers striker and fellow Singapore national team player) during which Alam Shah kneed Bennett in the head in a tussle for the ball and, after being dragged away by his team-mates, returned and kicked Bennett in the head. Bennett was knocked unconscious and had to be taken to hospital while Alam Shah was sent off. SAFFC ultimately won the match 4-3. The incident resulted in Alam Shah receiving a 12 month ban (reduced to 7 months on appeal).
Personal life
Bennett was born in England. His family moved to Singapore when he was two years old. He was educated in Singapore at Tanglin Trust SchoolTanglin Trust School
Tanglin Trust School is an international school in Singapore. The school teaches a British-based curriculum and is primarily intended to serve the British expatriate community in Singapore. Approximately 70%-80% of the students in the school are British...
and the United World College of South East Asia
United World College of South East Asia
The United World College of South East Asia is an independent, international school in Singapore. The school's main campus is in Dover Road. A second campus was opened in 2008 in Ang Mo Kio...
(where his father, Andrew Bennett, was a teacher and later Headmaster until 2004), before going on to study at Loughborough University.
Bennett is married to Cherry, a woman from China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
whom he met in Singapore.
International
- ASEAN Football Championship: 2004, 2007
Singapore Armed Forces FC
- S.LeagueS.LeagueThe S.League is the top men's professional association football league in Singapore. The league was launched in 1996 and currently involves 12 clubs.-History:...
: 2002, 2007, 2008, 2009 - Singapore CupSingapore CupThe Singapore Cup is an annual soccer competition in Singapore.The Singapore Cup is the major cup competition in Singapore football, and has existed since the 1997 ....
: 2007, 2008
Goals for senior national team
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 December 2004 | Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million... , Malaysia |
4–3 | Won | 2004 Tiger Cup 2004 Tiger Cup The 2004 Tiger Cup was jointly hosted by Vietnam and Malaysia from 7 December to 16 January 2005 and participated by the national football teams of Southeast Asia.... |
|
| 2 | 8 January 2005 | Jakarta Jakarta Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre... , Indonesia Indonesia Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an... |
3–1 | Won | 2004 Tiger Cup 2004 Tiger Cup The 2004 Tiger Cup was jointly hosted by Vietnam and Malaysia from 7 December to 16 January 2005 and participated by the national football teams of Southeast Asia.... |
|
| 3 | 8 June 2005 | Penang Penang Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the... , Malaysia |
2–1 | Won | Friendly | |
| 4 | 28 December 2006 | Bangkok Bangkok Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom... , Thailand Thailand Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the... |
2–3 | Lost | Friendly | |
| 5 | 7 January 2007 | Singapore Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the... |
4–1 | Won | Friendly |
External links
- National Football Teams
- http://data2.7m.cn/Player_Data/48004/en/index.shtml
- http://www.fas.org.sg/default.asp?V_DOC_ID=1302
- http://www.soccerway.com/players/-daniel-bennett/24349/
- http://www.safwarriors.com.sg/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=316:player-profile-daniel-bennett&catid=8:club-happenings&Itemid=25