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Having been brilliant at Boro to broken at Burnley, Ben Gibson appears to be Premier League-bound once again, as Norwich look set for an instant return to the top-flight.
Gibson joined Norwich City last summer on a season-long loan from Burnley, with an obligation for the deal to become permanent should Daniel Farke’s side be promoted to the Premier League. That looks increasingly likely, as the Canaries currently sit 10-points clear at the top of the Championship with only 11 matches left this season.
Many Norwich fans were left fearing the worst when the club sold Ben Godfrey to Everton. The England-U21 international had been a vital part of the defence at Carrow Road since breaking into the team in December 2018.
However, the signing of Ben Gibson has eradicated these fears. His wealth of Championship experience being a detrimental factor in the Canaries success this term. The former Middlesbrough man has forged a solid partnership alongside the experienced Scotsman Grant Hanley.
The pair have been at the heart of a defensive unit that has conceded only 25 goals in 35 Championship matches. A far cry from Norwich’s promotion side of 2018/19, which had conceded 20 goals more at the same stage of the campaign.
The transition from Boro to Burnley
Gibson joined the Middlesbrough academy at the age of 12 and earnt a professional contract in July 2010. Ben, the nephew of Boro Chairman Steven Gibson, made his first-team debut against Coventry City in April 2011.
He established himself on Teesside in the 2013/14 season following several loan spells at Plymouth, York, and Tranmere. He went onto play 203 times for the club, captaining the side on many occasions. His leadership qualities were reflected off the pitch when he became an ambassador for the Teesside Hospice.
He was as influential on the pitch, being the focal point of a record-breaking backline that offered the foundation for Boro to secure promotion to the Premier League in 2015/16. He followed this with an impressive personal Premier League campaign in 2016/17, with Gibson playing every minute.
His performances were recognised and earnt him multiple call-ups to the England national side, having previously played for the Three Lions at various youth ages. Despite not making his international debut, he did eventually attract interest from Premier League Burnley and moved to the Clarets for £15 million in August 2018.
Torrid time at Turf Moor
The defender arrived at the Lancashire club as a joint club-record signing but only ended up making six appearances for the club.
Recently, he opened up on his struggles with injury and the form of Ben Mee and James Tarkowski:
“I’m not going to lie, from the beginning it was a disaster at Burnley”.
“I was struggling, pretty quickly with hernias. I tried to play through it, I hadn’t been injured for years at Boro”.
“All of a sudden it was nearly Christmas and we were struggling. The manager had his team and he didn’t veer away from that. I got one opportunity against Everton, I scored, we were getting beat 3-1 and I got brought off, we lost 5-1”.
The 28-year-old wanted a move away from the Clarets in January 2020, with Watford touted to bring him to Vicarage Road as they fought against the drop. However, the Lancashire side refused the offers, which led to him spending the second half of last season back in Teesside training with his boyhood club Middlesbrough.
Finding a new home in East Anglia
It is evident how at home Ben Gibson feels at Norwich from the smile on his face every game, a sentiment he has echoed in many interviews throughout the season.
His composure on the ball and ability to play out from the back makes him a perfect match for Daniel Farke’s possession-based football. Alongside his desire to prove his quality, which has shone throughout the season, keeping injuries to a minimum. As a result of this, Gibson has featured 26 times in all competitions to date.
He will be hungry to get the job finished and promotion sealed at the earliest date possible, having previously suffered playoff-final heartbreak in 2015 playing against Norwich. Despite his struggles, he has maintained the attributes of a Premier League player. There is no doubt he will be hoping to prove that point next season with Norwich unless they suffer a collapse of form between now and the end of the season.
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