Press Sport
York City's Ben Gibson: I will play anywhere
11:08am Tuesday 21st February 2012
VERSATILE Ben Gibson is happy to carry on playing left-back for York City.
Minstermen chief Gary Mills announced that the former England under-17 international was a centre-half following his loan arrival from Middlesbrough this month.
But the 19-year-old defender made his debut against Stockport at full-back on Saturday when he was preferred to James Meredith in City’s starting line up and Gibson has revealed he is comfortable in a variety of roles due to the nature of his apprenticeship at the Riverside Stadium.
He said: “I’ve played at left-back a little bit. In Middlesbrough’s academy, they vary where you play as you grow up and I even played a bit in midfield as well.
“When I was on loan with Plymouth earlier this season, I flicked between centre-back and left-back because they were really struggling for players there. It was all hands to the pump and important that you could play anywhere you were put.
“Basically, I don’t mind where I play as long as I’m in the team.”
After being recalled from Plymouth by Boro boss Tony Mowbray at the end of November, Gibson turned out for the Championship side’s reserves for two months but was soon itching for a second chance to play competitive football.
He said: “First-team football in the Conference is a bit quicker than what you get in the reserves. It’s also more physical and you don’t get as much time on the ball so you have to adapt to that.
“But I enjoy being involved in real football where people are playing for win bonuses to help pay their mortgages off.”
The 6ft 1in defender went close to marking his City debut with a goal at the weekend when his second-half header clipped the crossbar and, despite going 17 matches without finding the net so far in his professional career, Gibson is planning not to wait much longer before he opens his senior account, saying: “I probably should have scored on Saturday. I was a bit too eager and put too much on the header. Hopefully, I’ll learn from that and get one in the coming weeks.”