The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
The first new signing of the summer has arrived
Former Millwall midfielder Ben Thompson has been unveiled as the first summer signing for Posh.
The 26-year-old arrived at the Weston Homes Stadium as a free agent having left Gillingham at the end of last season. He had moved to the Gills to link up with his former Millwall manager Neil Harris on a short-term contract last January and was a standout player in an ulitimately fruitless battle against relegation in League One.
Thompson has signed a two-year contract with a one year option. He made over 150 appearances for the Lions, the majority in the Championship.
Posh boss Grant McCann was pleased to get the deal over the line. McCann said: “Ben is a player we have admired for a long time. He can play as a number 8 or as a number 10 and has everything we love in a midfield player.
"He is aggressive in everything that he does. He plays on the front foot and has a great ability to drive at people with the ball. However, the biggest thing about Ben is his tremendous character and will fit into the group really well.”
Thompson has also enjoyed a loan spell at Portsmouth where he made 27 appearances in League One in the 2018-19 season, scoring three times.
Thompson was delighted to put pen to paper at Posh and can’t wait to get started.
He said: “It’s been a bit of a whirlwind with talks and stuff, but I’m delighted to get the deal over the line. It’s something different for me with having to relocate the family, but I’m raring to get going.
"The forces have aligned really. I want to get back to the Championship and the club shares that ambition. I had a fantastic time at Millwall
and really enjoyed it at Gillingham, but now I want to do my bit for my new team by playing as many games as I can. I like to play centre midfield and I’m happy to do both sides of the job, defensively and attacking.
"New dressing rooms can be daunting, but I know Nathan Thompson from Portsmouth, and I know Mark Beevers and Sammie Szmodics.
I’ve played against a few of the lads as well and I’m sure they will make me feel welcome.”
Thompson is highly-rated by fans of his former clubs and Gillingham football reporter Luke Cawdell believes the new signing could become one of the best midfielders in League One.
Cawdell said: “Ben was too good for Gillingham unfortunately and too expensive. He was in a poor side last season so it was hard for him, but he showed a few glimpses of quality.
"He’s got loads of energy, likes to get on the ball and make things happen, looking to play in the strikers.
"He’s a busy player, can tackle, can pass, can shoot and should be up there with the best midfielders in League
One next season.
" He played every game when he joined the Gills which was impressive considering the lack of action he’d had at Millwall before that, which shows his natural fitness levels are good.
"He was an ideal replacement when Kyle Dempsey went to Bolton, similar in style and stature and should flourish in a decent team.”