Benjamin’s bid to rescue Town

From the Swindon Advertiser, first published Tuesday 31st Jan 2006.

HE may be without a horse called Silver, but Loan Ranger' Trevor Benjamin is hoping he can ride into the County Ground to help rescue Town's season.

The powerful striker's latest move, on loan from Peterborough until the end of the season, takes his tally of loan clubs to nine in his career during which time he has experienced his fair share of relegation battles.

Between 2000 and 2005, Benjamin enjoyed the highs of Premiership survival with Leicester City but ultimately also experienced the anguish of relegation.

The 26-year-old arrives at the County Ground in the midst of another dogfight and he is confident his previous basement battles will stand him in good stead to ensure this one ends in success.

Benjamin, who moved to the Foxes from Cambridge for £1.5m in July 2000, was the villain of the piece earlier this season when he helped knock Town out of the LDV Vans Trophy with a goal in Peterborough's 2-1 win in November.

But come May, the journeyman striker is hoping he can etch himself as a hero into Town folklore.

He said: "I have been involved in relegation fights before and the most important thing is for everyone to stick together.

"If you do that and work hard then perhaps that bit of luck will go your way that can change the season. On first impressions the lads seem a good bunch and I see no reason why we can't get out of it.

"Hopefully Town fans will forget that I scored against them earlier this season and hopefully I can get some goals to help them up the league."

Benjamin will be facing competition for a starting place from Lee Peacock and Jamie Cureton but he insists he is not fazed by the task ahead.

He said: "I know the two of them well. As a striker I watch other strikers and I know these two are good players.

"But I have come here to get first team football and I will be working hard to make sure I get that here."

A prolific start to his career as a youngster at Cambridge United earned him his big money move to Leicester but, after five seasons there, his career has since stuttered to a standstill.

Swindon is Benjamin's seventh club in the last two seasons and he is hoping the next few months can kick-start his career.

"I was out of favour at Peterborough," he said. "For whatever reason the manager didn't rate me and that is up to him.

"I am used to living out of a suitcase in recent seasons and I know myself as the Loan Ranger, because of the amount of clubs I have played for.

"I probably know every hotel or Travelodge in the country but my priority is to get first-team football, do a job here, and then take it from there in the summer.

"I am still based in Leicester at the moment and will probably be spending a lot of time in a hotel.

"If anything becomes more permanent I would probably look to move here."

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