Josh Benson

Josh Benson (born 5 December 1999) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Rotherham United.

He has previously played for Arsenal, Burnley, Grimsby Town and Barnsley.

Career Early career Benson was born in Brentwood, Essex and is the oldest of four siblings. The family were raised in Thurrock, Essex. At the age of seven, an Arsenal scout spotted him playing for Thurrock in a tournament and invited for a trial. Following pre-season he hoped he would be part of the first team squad regularly but an injury hampered his progress.

On 18 January 2020, he moved on loan to gain some first team experience, joining EFL League Two side Grimsby Town where he joined up with fellow under-23 player Anthony Glennon. The move materialised as manager, Ian Holloway, had worked with Burnley's chief operating officer Matt Williams when he was at Blackpool, doing a lot of his scouting. The loan only lasted two months after the season was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but he had still made a good impression on Holloway, scoring twice in 11 appearances.

In the summer of 2020, Burnley triggered a one-year contract extension on his deal. On 28 November 2020, he made his Premier League debut for Burnley, replacing the injured Josh Brownhill in the starting line-up for a trip to Manchester City at the City of Manchester Stadium. In December 2020, after making five first team appearances, he signed a new contract until June 2023 with a further 12-month extension in the club's favour.

Barnsley In July 2021 he signed for Barnsley for an undisclosed fee. He scored his first goal for Barnsley in an EFL Cup win over Middlesbrough on 10 August 2022. He was released by Barnsley at the end of the 2024–25 season.

Rotherham United In July 2025 he signed for Rotherham United. On 8 May 2026 Rotherham announced he was being released after the team's relegation to EFL League Two.

Career statistics