Benson delighted to team up with his old comrade Georgie
ROBBIE Benson had a big role to play in Georgie Kelly opting to sign a two and a half year deal with Dundalk last week but ahead of the start of the club’s European campaign on Thursday the midfielder said he is still undecided on his own future.
The 26-year-old, who is poised to make his 300th career appearance against Levadia Tallinn, is one of the key men in Stephen Kenny’s squad whose deal expires at the end of the current season.
Benson insists he is happy at Dundalk but the Actuarial graduate hinted he may not ever be willing to commit to the club on more than a year by year basis.
Asked about his future, he said: ‘I do the same thing as I do every year. I just concentrate on what I’m doing for the rest of the season and then I make up my mind at the end of the year.
‘That’s the way I’m probably always going to do it. I’d never say never that I wouldn’t sign a longer deal but more than likely that’s the way I’m thinking.
‘I’m very happy here especially with the new owners. They’re very close to us and Mike Treacy, in particular, texts me after every game. Dundalk is the place to be at the minute and I’m very happy here.’
While a long term deal might not be a desire for Benson, he had no hesitation in recommending the club to Kelly, who he revealed he knew from his UCD days.
‘Georgie came in to UCD in my last year but he was ineligible to play because he had played for Derry. He came to college in September after the window shut so he wasn’t able to play but when I’ve gone back to UCD he would have been there in the student accommodation and I’d hang around with him so I met up with him before he signed.
‘He was looking for advice on things and I just said to him that if Dundalk are in for you then it’s the only place to be. Obviously Pat (Hoban) is doing brilliantly but it’s a great chance for Georgie to learn from him. He’s a good player and will do very well for us.’
Benson also revealed that some advice of his played a key role in Chris Shields getting forward to grab
Dundalk’s second goal against St Patrick’s Athletic on Friday.
‘We’ve actually been dovetailing a bit more this year with me sitting in and him getting forward so I said to him four or five weeks ago that you’re definitely going to score again before the end of the season.
‘I probably should have said it to a few more people and they might have made a bit of money off it but he has been brilliant. He’s getting up into the box more now and he’ll get another one before the end of the season, that’s for sure.’
If a second goal of the season was a momentous occasion for Shields, then Benson will hit a significant landmark of his own in Tallinn when he plays the 300th match of his career. ‘Thanks for making me feel old,’ he laughed when informed of the stat.
‘It’s my ninth or 10th year in the league since I started with Athlone. That’s a good milestone though and it’s good to know that. Hopefully there are plenty more to come.’
Benson knows what it’s like to score in Europe and would love to do it again.
‘Big games tend to look after themselves but the European runs, even last year in Rosenborg, were superb. Levadia will be no pushovers but we’re really looking forward to flying out on Tuesday. It’s a nice little adventure to look forward to every year.
‘Going away first can be tricky because you don’t know if a team can be strong at home. We’re going to have to be very diligent and maybe dig in like we did today and try to get an away goal out there,’ he said.