Bennett Pens New Deal

By: Rob Sedgwick
Date: 30/06/2009

TEENAGE captain Ryan Bennett has surprisingly signed a four year contract with the Mariners just a matter of days after Town turned down a deal with Peterborough for the central defender said to be worth a possible million pounds.

Bennett in effect has at least doubled the period of time he will be at Blundell Park as his previous deal was set to end in two years time. The new deal will take him through to the age of 23.

Bennett told the Grimsby Telegraph: "It's good to get things done and sign a new deal. Throughout the summer there has been a lot of speculation. Everyone will have read what's been said through the papers but I haven't said anything.

"It's nice to now be able to come out and say what I want to say and let everybody know that I have signed a new contract. That's what I always intended to do.

Bennett will be rewarded with an improved package by the Mariners, on the back of an England U-19 cap last season, and gaining the club captaincy in the new year.

"I couldn't be happier. The terms are improved and it suited both myself and the club so it's worked out well", said Bennett.

"Grimsby are the team that gave me my chance and I want to stay here and repay the club for that. That's hopefully what I'm doing signing this contract.

Bennett was upset to see that it was assumed he would leave Blundell Park, when instead the opposite was true and he wanted to extend his spell at the club.

"To see and hear what's been said hasn't been nice.

"It seemed everyone had the assumption that as soon as someone came in for me I would hand in a transfer request.

"That's not what I wanted to do - I wanted to sign a new contract, it was just a case of sorting out the terms and we did that the first day we were back.

"A four-year deal is good for me and good for the club.

Bennett is now looking to buy a house in the Grimsby area.

"I have negotiated a deal with the chairman that is going to enable me to settle down here now and get my own place.

Grim Rob Says Like many Town fans I had expected that the club would probably cash in on Bennett either this summer or this time next year. The fact that they haven't and instead have extended his stay at the club is a great statement of the club's intentions and ambitions. Hopefully both our fans by buying tickets and also players who are approached by Grimsby to join the Mariners will appreciate the significance of this new deal and everything it says about Town's ambitions. After years of decline this summer and this new contract in particular could be the turning point.

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