Player #851 for Aston Villa, Joseph Bennett known as Joe Bennett played as a left back for the club in Villa’s 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 Premier League campaigns, with the latter ending in Villa’s first relegation from the top tier in nearly 30 years. Bennett made 38 appearances and scored once.

Bennett was born in Rochdale on 28 March 1990.

Villa had signed Joe from Middlesbrough for and in total he played for Villa for 4 season(s).

Paul Lambert had signed Bennett from Middlesbrough for £2,840,000 on 29 August 2012 and like so many signings under Lambert’s bewildering regime, Bennett was out of his depth with Villa. It is said that Middlesbrough were surprised when Premier League club Villa enquired about Joe Bennett’s availability, and that they were dumbfounded when Paul Lambert offered £2.84m for his services. They were not alone and Bennett soon was the casualty of reality much to Villa’s cost.

Lambert handed Bennett his first appearances as 68’ substitute for Eric Lichaj in Villa’s 1-4 Premier League defeat at Southampton on Saturday, 22 September 2012.

Lambert had clearly seen something he liked and handed Bennett his first start in the following before five successive Premier League appearances.

Bennett’s first start came in Villa’s rousing 4-2 after extra time League Cup 3rd Round victory at Manchester City on Tuesday, 25 September 2012 however his subsequent league appearances were not so profitable with two defeats, two draws and just one win in five.

Bennett was then absent through injury before Lambert brought him on as a 56’ substitute for Eric Lichaj in Villa’s record 0-8 defeat at Chelsea on Sunday, 23 December 2012 and he was handed a start in the following game on Wednesday, 26 December 2012 which ended in a 0-4 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. In the final game of 2012, Lambert handed Bennett his second successive start in a match that ended 0-3 to Wigan Athletic at Villa Park.

Despite those chastening results, Lambert retained Bennett as his first choice left back and from New Years Day 2013 through to the end of the campaign he featured in 21 of 22 Villa squads making 18 starts and 2 substitute appearances

In the peculiar way that Lambert often operated, a player he championed one season would be used far more sparingly the next and so it was the case with Bennett. Lambert handed Bennett five starts in the whole of the 2013-14 season and two substitute appearances, although injury played a factor there were significant periods of availability when the previously undroppable Bennett would be picked. Whilst this was par for the course under Lambert it was no less unfathomable given what had gone before.

Bennett spent the entirety of the 2014-15 season out on loan with Brighton & Hove Albion and by the time he returned to Villa, Lambert was gone and Tim Sherwood had replaced him.

2015-16 saw interim manager Sherwood surprisingly kept in post and with a major, though disjointed overhaul of the squad having taken place in the close season, it was assumed there would be no place for the hitherto largely absent Bennett in the Villa squad. Sherwood however did bring Bennett back into the fold and he was named on the substitutes bench for Villa’s 2nd Round League Cup tie with Notts County on Tuesday, 25 August 2015. Villa made hard work of eventually beating County, being taken to extra time before running out 5-3 winners, and Bennett was brought on as a 100’ substitute for Carles Gil and within a minute he had scored Villa’s fifth goal. That strike was Bennett’s first for the club on what would be his final appearance.

Within days of his goal, Sherwood sent Bennett out on loan to AFC Bournemouth until January 2016 and on the player’s return Sherwood had gone and Rémi Garde been appointed in his place. The Frenchman quickly sanctioned a loan move for Bennett to Sheffield Wednesday where he would remain for the rest of the season.

By the time of his return, Villa were now a Championship club under a new manager Roberto Di Matteo and ahead of the new season Bennett was moved on to fellow Championship side Cardiff City.

Bennett had played under Paul Lambert and Tim Sherwood.