![]() Hockenhull playing for Brentford B in April 2022. | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Ben William Hockenhull [1] | ||
Date of birth | 3 September 2001 | ||
Place of birth | Crewe, England | ||
Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) [2] | ||
Position(s) | Central defender | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Nantwich Town | ||
Youth career | |||
2007–2020 | Manchester United | ||
2020–2022 | Brentford | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2022–2024 | Tranmere Rovers | 3 | (0) |
2022–2023 | → Warrington Rylands (loan) | 19 | (0) |
2023 | → Chorley (loan) | 1 | (0) |
2023 | → Spennymoor Town (loan) | 6 | (1) |
2024 | → Southport (loan) | 13 | (0) |
2024 | Stafford Rangers | 4 | (0) |
2024–2025 | Bury | 22 | (3) |
2025– | Curzon Ashton | 0 | (0) |
2025 | → Mossley (dual-reg) | 5 | (0) |
2025 | → Nantwich Town (dual-reg) | 9 | (1) |
2025– | Nantwich Town | 1 | (0) |
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16:20, 9 August 2025 (UTC) |
Ben William Hockenhull (born 3 September 2001) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Northern Premier League Division One West club Nantwich Town.
Hockenhull is a product of the Manchester United academy and began his professional career with Brentford. Following two seasons of B team football, his senior career began with Tranmere Rovers in 2022. After failing to break into the first team squad, Hockenhull dropped into non-League football in 2024.
A central defender, Hockenhull entered the Manchester United academy at age six and progressed to sign a scholarship in 2018. [3] [4] Despite having one year remaining on his scholarship, he departed Carrington in July 2020. [5]
On 23 July 2020, Hockenhull transferred to the B team at Brentford and signed a two-year contract, with the option of a further year, [3] for an undisclosed fee. [6] After an injury-hit 2020–21 season spent acclimatising to the rigours of professional football, Hockenhull progressed during the early months of 2021–22 to training with the first team and at times, captaining the B team. [7] He was a part of the B team's 2021–22 London Senior Cup-winning squad and transferred away from the club in May 2022. [8] During two seasons with Brentford B, Hockenhull made 54 appearances and scored one goal. [8]
On 27 May 2022, Hockenhull signed a two-year contract with League Two club Tranmere Rovers, effective 10 June 2022. [9] [10] Hockenhull made his debut with a start in a 1–0 EFL Trophy group stage win over Crewe Alexandra on 18 October 2022 and three days later, [11] he joined Northern Premier League Premier Division club Warrington Rylands on a loan that was later extended until the end of the 2022–23 season. [12] [13] He made 20 appearances in all competitions during his spell. [14]
Following 2023–24 pre-season involvement with the first team squad, [15] Hockenhull spent much of the regular season away on loan at National League North clubs Chorley, [16] Spennymoor Town and Southport. [17] [18] [19] Hockenhull make three late-season League Two appearances for Tranmere Rovers, [20] which were his last for the club prior to his release when his contract expired at the end of the season. [21]
In August 2024, Hockenhull signed a contract with Northern Premier League Division One West club Stafford Rangers. [22] After making four appearances, [23] he transferred to North West Counties League Premier Division club Bury. [24] He made 24 appearances and scored four goals prior to his departure in January 2025. [25] Hockenhull played the second half of the 2024–25 season with Curzon Ashton, but played most of his matches with Mossley and Nantwich Town respectively on a dual-registration basis. [26] He transferred permanently to Nantwich Town in June 2025. [27]
Hockenhull is the son of former football manager Andy Hockenhull. [28]
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Tranmere Rovers | 2022–23 [11] | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 [a] | 0 | 1 | 0 |
2023–24 [20] | League Two | 3 | 0 | ― | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
Total | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
Warrington Rylands (loan) | 2022–23 [14] | Northern Premier League Premier Division | 19 | 0 | ― | ― | 1 [b] | 0 | 20 | 0 | ||
Chorley (loan) | 2023–24 [29] | National League North | 1 | 0 | ― | ― | ― | 1 | 0 | |||
Spennymoor Town (loan) | 2023–24 [29] | National League North | 6 | 1 | ― | ― | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | ||
Southport (loan) | 2023–24 [30] | National League North | 13 | 0 | ― | ― | 1 [c] | 0 | 14 | 0 | ||
Stafford Rangers | 2024–25 [23] | Northern Premier League Division One West | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ― | ― | 4 | 0 | ||
Bury | 2024–25 [31] | North West Counties League Premier Division | 22 | 3 | ― | ― | 2 [d] | 1 | 24 | 4 | ||
Curzon Ashton | 2024–25 [32] | National League North | 0 | 0 | ― | ― | 1 [e] | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Mossley (dual-registration) | 2024–25 [33] | Northern Premier League Division One West | 5 | 0 | ― | ― | ― | 5 | 0 | |||
Nantwich Town (dual-registration) | 2024–25 [34] | Northern Premier League Division One West | 9 | 1 | ― | ― | ― | 9 | 1 | |||
Nantwich Town | 2025–26 [35] | Northern Premier League Division One West | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ― | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
Total | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ― | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | |||
Career total | 82 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 89 | 6 |
Hockenhull has been described as an "imposing central defender" with "the ability to win the ball in the air, but is also a talented defender with the ball at his feet". [36]
Brentford B