Fran Bentley

Francesca Bentley (born 26 June 2001) is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for FA WSL club Manchester United.

Fran Bentley
Bentley with Blackburn Rovers in 2020
Personal information
Full name Francesca Bentley
Date of birth (2001-06-26) 26 June 2001
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Manchester United
Number 22
Youth career
2010–2015 Manchester United
2015–2018 Manchester City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2018 Manchester City 0 (0)
2018– Manchester United 1 (0)
2019 → Sheffield United (loan) 6 (0)
2020 → Blackburn Rovers (loan) 4 (0)
National team‡
2017– England U17 3 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17 January 2021
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11 October 2018

She has previously played in the youth ranks at Manchester City, on loan at Sheffield United and has represented England at under-17 level.

Club career

Early career

Bentley joined Manchester United aged nine and remained at the club for five years.[1] In 2015, she joined local rivals Manchester City due to the limited first team opportunities available at her former club.[1]

Manchester City

In July 2017, Bentley signed with the Manchester City development squad for the 2017–18 season and became a regular for the club.[2] In April 2018, she helped the club win the FA Development League Cup.[3] Bentley was named as an unused substitute for the first team on two occasions as they finished runners-up in the Women's Super League and the FA WSL Cup.[4][5]

Manchester United

On 1 July 2018, Bentley returned to her former club and joined Manchester United ahead of their inaugural season in the FA Women's Championship, one of seven players to return to the senior side having played for the club at youth level.[6][7] She made her senior debut as a 59th-minute substitute in a Championship game against Millwall with the score at 6–0. The game finished 8–0.[8]

2018–19 season: Loan to Sheffield United
Bentley with Sheffield United

On 8 February 2019, she was loaned to fellow Championship side Sheffield United until the end of the season.[9] She played in six games during the loan, conceded four goals and won every game. She also notably assisted fellow Manchester United loanee Ebony Salmon's goal in a 2–1 win over Tottenham Hotspur.[10]

2019–20 season

Bentley missed the start of the 2019–20 season after suffering a fractured humerus while on international duty with England under-18s.[11]

2020–21 season: Loan to Blackburn Rovers

On 1 September 2020, Bentley signed a season-long loan deal with Blackburn Rovers of the FA Women's Championship.[12] She made her league debut five days later in a 3–0 defeat to Leicester City.[13] She made four appearances before United recalled her in December.[14]

International career

On 28 April 2017, Bentley made her debut for England under-17s in a 2–0 defeat to the United States.[15] Six months later, she made her competitive debut and kept her first clean sheet for England in a 10–0 victory against Latvia in UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship qualification.[16] Bentley made five appearances to help England qualify for the tournament.[17]

Personal life

While playing for Manchester United, she enrolled onto the BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma Business course at Wigan and Leigh College.[18]

Career statistics
As of match played 17 January 2021[17]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup[lower-alpha 1] League Cup[lower-alpha 2] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Manchester City 2017–18 WSL 1 00000000
Manchester United 2018–19 Championship 10000010
2019–20 FA WSL 00000000
2020–21 00000000
Total 10000010
Sheffield United (loan) 2018–19 Championship 60000060
Blackburn Rovers (loan) 2020–21 Championship 40000040
Career total 1100000110
  1. Includes the Women's FA Cup
  2. Includes the WSL Cup/Women's League Cup

References
  1. "Fran Bentley". ManUtd.com. Manchester United. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  2. Bentley, Fran (25 July 2017). "Fran Bentley on Twitter". twitter.com. Twitter. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  3. Oatway, Caroline (14 April 2018). "Double delight for Academy aces". Manchester City Football Club. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  4. "Manchester City 4–0 Liverpool". soccerway.com. Soccerway. 11 February 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  5. "Birmingham City 2–0 Manchester City". soccerway.com. Soccerway. 21 February 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  6. "Manchester United include England stars in unveiled women's squad". 13 July 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  7. "United Women's Squad: Player By Player". Manchester United Football Club. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  8. "Match report on Manchester United Women 8 Millwall Lionesses 0 Sunday 25 November 2018". ManUtd.com. Manchester United. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  9. "Sheffield United welcome Fran Bentley". sufc.co.uk. Sheffield United FC. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  10. "Spurs 1-2 United Women - report". sufc.co.uk. Sheffield United FC.
  11. Carney, Sam (17 July 2019). "Fran Bentley suffers fractured humerus". ManUtd.com. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  12. "Fran Bentley loan confirmed". ManUtd.com. Manchester United.
  13. "Report: Leicester City Women 3-0 Rovers Ladies". Blackburn Rovers FC. 6 September 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  14. "United recall Bentley from loan". www.rovers.co.uk.
  15. "United States U17 2–0 England U17". soccerway.com. Soccerway. 28 April 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  16. "England U17 10–0 Latvia U17". soccerway.com. Soccerway. 14 October 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  17. "Francesca Bentley". soccerway.com. Soccerway. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  18. "Wigan & Leigh College :: Manchester United Women First team players Enrol at Leigh College". Wigan & Leigh College. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
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