Brentford of England defender, Benjamin Chiemela Fredrick has been rated among some fast-growing African players regarded as ‘outsiders looking to challenge’ for recognition this season in the English Premier League, Sports247 reports.
Fredrick’s name appears in a survey that identified him as a young player who moved straight from the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) into top-flight football in England, though he previously spent the 2025/2026 season on loan at Dender of Belgium.
However, with the Super Eagles’ rookie now back in the mainframe at Brentford, his rating is soaring high, just five years after he moved from Simoiben Football Academy of Kaduna to ABS FC of Ilorin for the 2021/2022 season.
He made his debut for ABS in February 2022, after which he joined Nasarawa United of Lafia in October of the same year, following which the 21-year-old defender, who can play in central defence and right-back, signed for Brentford in August 2023 on loan with an option for a full contract.
That contract has now been fully activiated, thereby setting the stage for one of Nigeria’s most promising defenders to get his leap into full flight EPL action, ahead of which a survey by BBC Sport Africa rates him among lads from the continent aiming to create huge impacts in the season that began on Friday.
The survey begins with a look at African players who are most likely to hit high marks this season in the EPL, and which of them will step into star status after the exit of Mohamed Salah from Liverpool to Trabzonspor of Turkey, but no Nigerian player is named in the log.
While Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, Ola Aina, Semi Ajayi and Taiwo Awoniyi fail to get a mention, the list is headed by Antoine Semenyo of Ghana and Manchester City, followed by Omar Marmoush (Egypt, Manchester City) as well as Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon, Manchester United).
Also mentioned among Africa’s top-5 prospects tipped to shine this season in the EPL is Ismaila Sarr (Senegal, Crystal Palace), while those named alongside Fredricks among ‘the challenegers’ are Tottenham’s Mohammed Kudus, Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye and Yoane Wissa of Newcastle United.
The survey noted, “Benjamin Fredrick has just signed a four-year deal and been promoted to Brentford’s first-team squad. That rarest of things – a player signed by a Premier League side direct from Nigeria.
“He was enjoying a successful loan in Belgium last season and was due to be one of the Super Eagles’ starting centre-backs at AFCON until suffering a knee injury on the eve of the tournament.”
