Alfie Bendle

Alfie Bendle

Personal information
Full name	Alfie Joshua Bendle [1]
Date of birth	(2005-01-27) 27 January 2005 (age 19)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Forest Green Rovers
Number	12
Youth career
2011–2012	1st Touch Football Academy
2012–2021	Brighton and Hove Albion
2021	Lewes
2021–2022	AFC Wimbledon
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2022–2023	AFC Wimbledon	9	(0)
2021–2022	→ Corinthian Casuals (loan)	32	(5)
2023	→ Eastbourne Borough (loan)	11	(0)
2023–	Forest Green Rovers	5	(0)
2024	→ Eastbourne Borough (loan)	15	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:07, 20 April 2024 (UTC)

Alfie Joshua Bendle (born 27 January 2005) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for National League club Forest Green Rovers. ^[2]

Career

Bendle, who had previously played youth football with Brighton and Hove Albion and spent time on loan with Corinthian Casuals, signed a professional contract for Wimbledon on his seventeenth birthday. ^{[3] [4]}

Bendle made his professional debut in the final game of the 2021–22 EFL League One season at home at Plough Lane on 30 April 2022 against Accrington Stanley in a 4–3 defeat that confirmed Wimbledon's relegation to EFL League Two. ^[5]

The next season, Bendle came on in the 88th minute for Ethan Chislett against Gillingham on 30 July 2022. ^[6]

On 20 January 2023, it was announced that Bendle would join National League South club Eastbourne Borough on loan until the end of the season. ^[7] Bendle was recalled early from his loan, after making 11 appearances for Borough, due to an injury crisis at Wimbledon. ^[8]

Bendle signed for Forest Green Rovers in August 2023 for a free transfer, with Wimbledon inserting a sell-on clause into the deal. ^[9]

On 2 February 2024, Bendle joined Eastbourne Borough on an initial one-month loan, making this his second spell at the club. ^[10]

Career statistics

As of matches played 20 April 2024

Club	Season	Division	League		FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
AFC Wimbledon	2021–22 [11]	League One	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
	2022–23 [12]	League Two	8	0	3	0	0	0	5 [lower-alpha 1]	0	16	0
	Total		9	0	3	0	0	0	5	0	17	0
Corinthian-Casuals (loan)	2021–22 [13]	Isthmian League Premier Division	32	5	8	1	—		3 [lower-alpha 2]	0	43	6
Eastbourne Borough (loan)	2022–23 [2]	National League South	11	0	0	0	—		0	0	11	0
Forest Green Rovers	2023–24 [14]	League Two	5	0	1	0	0	0	3 [lower-alpha 1]	0	8	0
Eastbourne Borough (loan)	2023–24 [2]	National League South	15	1	0	0	—		0	0	15	1
Career total			72	6	12	1	0	0	11	0	94	7

1. Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
2. One appearance in FA Trophy, one appearance in Surrey Senior Cup, one appearance in Velocity Cup

References

1. "CLUB LIST OF REGISTERED PLAYERS" (PDF). English Football League. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
2. "A. Bendle- Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com.
3. "Rising Star Alfie signs first Pro contract". afcwimbledon.co.uk.
4. "Alfie Bendle backed to be a 'big player' for AFC Wimbledon next season". londonnewsonline.co.uk. 30 April 2022.
5. "Mixed emotions for Dons duo after full debuts". afcwimbledon.co.uk.
6. "AFC Wimbledon vs Gillingham - 30 July 2022". uk.soccerway.com.
7. "Bendle joins Borough". ebfc.co.uk.
8. "Bendle recalled". ebfc.co.uk.
9. "Alfie Bendle: Forest Green sign midfielder from AFC Wimbledon". BBC Sport. 9 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
10. "Bendle re-joins The Sports on loan". ebfc.co.uk.
11. "Games played by Alfie Bendle in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
12. "Games played by Alfie Bendle in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
13. "Corinthian-Casuals – Appearances – Alfie Bendle – 2021-2022". footballwebpages.co.uk.
14. "Games played by Alfie Bendle in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 August 2022.