Benjamin Siegrist

Benjamin Siegrist

Siegrist with Aston Villa in November 2014.
Personal information
Full name Benjamin Kevin Siegrist[1]
Date of birth (1992-01-31) 31 January 1992
Place of birth Therwil, Basel-Country, Switzerland
Height 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Vaduz
Number 22
Youth career
2000–2002 FC Therwil
2002–2009 FC Basel
2009–2012 Aston Villa
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2016 Aston Villa 0 (0)
2013 → Burton Albion (loan) 0 (0)
2014 → Cambridge United (loan) 3 (0)
2015–2016 → Solihull Moors (loan) 12 (0)
2016 → Wycombe Wanderers (loan) 1 (0)
2016- Vaduz 7 (0)
National team‡
2009 Switzerland U17 11 (0)
2009 Switzerland U18 1 (0)
2011 Switzerland U19 7 (0)
2013 Switzerland U21 1 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:30, 18 February 2016 (UTC).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 20 May 2015

Benjamin Kevin "Benji" Siegrist (born 31 January 1992 in Therwil) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays in the Swiss Super League for Vaduz as a goalkeeper. He was a member of the Switzerland squad at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and went on to represent the Swiss Under-21s.[2] In 2009, Siegrist was part of his nation's FIFA U-17 World Cup winning side, during which he also received the competition's inaugural Golden Glove award for best goalkeeper. During his seven years in the Aston Villa Academy Siegrist's undertook a series of short-term loans to English Football League and Conference sides, most recently he was part of the Solihull Moors side that won the National League North in 2016.

Club career

Aston Villa

Siegrist started his career at FC Basel in his native Switzerland. In January 2009, just prior to his 17th birthday, he signed for Aston Villa of the Premier League. He has represented the reserve and academy teams since joining the club, and in July 2010 he was allowed to link up with local side Tamworth with a view to a season-long loan. The loan move never materialised, but Siegrist did play for the club in two pre-season friendlies against Rugby Town and Leamington.[3] As a Villa youth player, he helped the club to the reach the final of the 2009–10 FA Youth Cup (which was lost 3–2 on aggregate to Chelsea) and the 2011–12 Premier Reserve League South title.

Ahead of the 2012–13 season Siegrist was promoted to Aston Villa's first team squad, receiving the number 39 shirt in the process.[4]

Loans

Siegrist joined Football League Two side Burton Albion on a one-month loan deal on 28 November 2013.[5] He was given the number one shirt and was named on the bench for Albion's match with Plymouth Argyle on 30 November 2013.[6] He made no appearances, largely due to the form of Dean Lyness, and returned to Aston Villa after one month.[7]

In March 2014 Siegrist joined Cambridge United of the Conference Premier, the fifth tier of English league football, on loan until the end of the season.[8] On the 26th of March 2014 Siegrist made his professional debut in a 3–0 win away to Salisbury City.[9] Siegrist played three matches for Cambridge conceding only one goal and helping the club to a second-place league finish and ultimately the 2014 Conference Premier play-off Final, before a groin injury ended his spell at the club.

Siegrist joined Solihull Moors of the National League North on a one-month emergency loan on 8 October 2015 having recovered from a serious leg injury in May 2015.[10] He played in the FA Cup third qualifying round for Solihull against Worcester City, the Moors forced a replay with a 1-1 draw in the first match but lost 1-0 in the replay, despite a string of fine saves from Siegrist.[11] Siegrist made his league debut in a 1-1 draw away to Tamworth on 17 October 2015.[12] Siegrist was named man of the match in a 2-2 draw with Lowestoft Town on 7 November 2015, making a string of saves to keep Moors in the game.[13] Following a loan extension until March 2016 his good form continued as Moors moved clear at the top of the league in January 2016, they went on to win the league a few weeks after Siegrist's departure.[14]

On 19 March 2016 Siegrist joined Wycombe Wanderers on loan until the end of the season.[15]

International career

Siegrist has been part of Switzerland squads at U17, U18, U19, and U21 level. Siegrist won the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Nigeria with his nation: the goalkeeper was an integral part of the side that beat the hosts in the final and won the tournament's first Golden Glove award as a result. He was chosen as a backup goalkeeper for Switzerland's U21 squad at the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, but remained an unused substitute throughout the tournament as Switzerland lost 2–0 in the final to Spain. In 2012, Siegrist was chosen as a backup goalkeeper to Diego Benaglio for Pierluigi Tami's 18-man squad to represent Switzerland at the 2012 London Olympic Games.[16]

Honours

Club

Basel Academy
Aston Villa Academy & Reserves
Cambridge United
Solihull Moors

International

Switzerland

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Premier League Clubs submit Squad Lists" (PDF). premierleague.com. Premier League. 2 September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  2. ↑ "Men's Football". London2012.com. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  3. ↑ "Tamworth eye loan deal for Villa keeper Siegrist". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  4. ↑ "Clark handed No.6, Vlaar No.4 and Lowton requests No.34". AVFC.co.uk. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  5. ↑ "Burton Albion sign Aston Villa keeper Benji Siegrist on loan". Burton Mail. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  6. ↑ "Plymouth Argyle vs. Burton Albion F.C.". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  7. ↑ Sloan, Tom (29 November 2013). "Dean Lyness looks likely to keep Burton Albion number one shirt for Plymouth Argyle trip". Derby Telegraph. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  8. ↑ "Cambridge United sign Aston Villa keeper Siegrist". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  9. ↑ "Salisbury 0–3 Cambridge United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  10. ↑ "Aston Villa Goalkeeper joins Solihull on loan". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  11. ↑ "Late goal ends Solihull Moors FA Cup dream". Solihull Observer. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  12. ↑ "Hnours even as Tamworth FC take on leaders Solihull Moors". Tamworth Herald. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  13. ↑ "Trawlerboys Net Two But Moors Still Unbeaten". Solihull Moors FC. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  14. ↑ "Aston Villa Loan Watch". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  15. ↑ "Villa keeper joins on loan". Official Wycombe Wanderers. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  16. ↑ "Switzerland 2012 Olympic Squad". About.com. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  17. 1 2 FC Basel 1893 (2008). "Zwei weitere Nachwuchstitel für den FCB" (in German). FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
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