Ben Sheaf
English footballer (born 1998)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Benjamin David Sheaf (born 5 February 1998) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for EFL Championship club Wrexham. He has represented England at youth level.
|
Sheaf with Coventry City in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Benjamin David Sheaf[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 5 February 1998[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Dartford, Kent, England[3] | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Defensive midfielder[2] | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Wrexham | ||
| Number | 18 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2011–2014 | West Ham United | ||
| 2014–2017 | Arsenal | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2021 | Arsenal | 0 | (0) |
| 2018 | → Stevenage (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | → Doncaster Rovers (loan) | 32 | (1) |
| 2020–2021 | → Coventry City (loan) | 30 | (0) |
| 2021–2025 | Coventry City | 131 | (7) |
| 2025– | Wrexham | 26 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2013–2014 | England U16 | ||
| 2015 | England U18 | 2 | (1) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 7 February 2026 | |||
Club career
Arsenal
Sheaf started his youth career with the reserves of West Ham United at the age of 13,[4] before joining the Arsenal youth setup on 2 July 2014.[5] He earned the praise of senior team manager Arsène Wenger who said that Sheaf was "always ahead of the game".[6] He scored his first goal for the Arsenal U19 in a 3–2 victory over Greek club Olympiacos on 29 September 2015, where he found the net in the 41st minute from the penalty spot.[7]
In October 2015, Sheaf was invited to train with the first team,[8] and days later he was an unused substitute in the club's 3–0 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday.[9] He stated that, although the result was not satisfactory, the experience of being involved in the first-team was good for him as he got to "see how things are done".[10] He made his first-team debut for Arsenal on 19 October 2017, coming on as an 89th-minute substitute for Francis Coquelin in a 1–0 victory over Red Star Belgrade in the UEFA Europa League.[11]
Loan to Stevenage
Sheaf joined League Two side Stevenage on loan on 26 January 2018, joining the Hertfordshire club on a deal until the end of the 2017–18 season.[12] He made his debut in a 2–0 loss against Notts County in League Two on 24 February.[13] He made 10 appearances for the side by the end of the loan spell.[14]
Loan to Doncaster Rovers
Sheaf joined League One side Doncaster Rovers on loan on 12 July 2019, joining the League One side for six months.[15][16] He made his debut and was named in the starting line-up in a 1–1 draw against Gillingham on 3 August.[17][18] His loan deal was extended until the end of the 2019–20 season on 7 January 2020.[19] On 15 February 2020, he scored his first goal for the club in a 2–1 defeat against Gillingham in the reverse fixture.[20] At the end, Sheaf played 38 games in all competitions for the side.[21]
Coventry City
On 4 September 2020, Sheaf joined newly-promoted Championship side Coventry City on a season-long loan deal with the option to make the deal permanent after.[22] He made his first appearance for the club in a 2–1 defeat against Bristol City on 12 September.[23][24]
Sheaf signed for Coventry City on a three-year deal in July 2021.[25]
Wrexham
On 1 September 2025, Sheaf joined Championship side Wrexham on a three-year deal.[26]
International career
Sheaf debuted for England under-16 team in the Victory Shield. As of July 2014, he has played twice for the under-16 national team.[4] He was part of the England U18s which played a couple of friendlies against the Netherlands in September 2015. They won 2–0 in the first game which Sheaf scored a penalty[27] and drew the second game 0–0.
Personal life
Sheaf comes from a sporting family. His mother was a top-level volleyball and beach volleyball player, and his older brother Jake was also a professional beach volleyball player. Sheaf's father was a footballer at county level, whilst his younger brother Max is a former Arsenal player and former player for Ross County.[10]
Career statistics
- As of match played on 13 February 2026
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Arsenal | 2017–18[28] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2018–19[29] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20[30] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2020–21[31] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Stevenage (loan) | 2017–18[28] | League Two | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | |
| Doncaster Rovers (loan) | 2019–20[30] | League One | 32 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 38 | 1 |
| Coventry City (loan) | 2020–21[31] | Championship | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 32 | 0 | |
| Coventry City | 2021–22[32] | Championship | 35 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 37 | 2 | |
| 2022–23[33] | 35 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2[d] | 0 | 38 | 3 | ||
| 2023–24[34] | 31 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 4 | ||
| 2024–25[35] | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[d] | 0 | 33 | 0 | ||
| 2025–26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 131 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 144 | 9 | ||
| Wrexham | 2025–26 | Championship | 26 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| Career total | 229 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 255 | 10 | ||
- Appearance in Europa League
- Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy for Arsenal U21 Squad
- Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
- Appearances in the EFL Championship play-offs
