Stockport County legend Ben Hinchliffe has signed a new two-year deal with the club, taking the goalkeeper’s time at Edgeley Park into a ninth and tenth season.
The 36-year-old, widely regarded as the club’s greatest ever goalkeeper, made more history this season when becoming the first player in Stockport County history to win three promotions with the club, having also been a key part of our National League North and National League title wins. He played every single minute of our title-winning League Two campaign, keeping 17 clean sheets in 46 games to also pick up the League Two Golden Glove award.
It continues the remarkable journey of a player who first moved to Edgeley Park on a part-time basis in 2016, joining on a free transfer from AFC Fylde and going on to become one of our greatest ever servants.
Ben has made 376 appearances across eight seasons and three divisions so far, with only six players in the club’s history having played more games. His 142 clean sheets in that time is the most of any County goalkeeper, with this season’s golden glove award the fifth that he’s picked up during his time here.
Having become a Football League goalkeeper again for the first time in 13 years in 2022, the former Tranmere Rovers and Derby County man seems only to be getting better with age in recent seasons – with his performances this year seeing him voted as both the Supporters’ and Players’ Player of the Year for 2023/24.
In the modern game, it’s incredibly rare for a player to be able to establish a lasting legacy at one club in the manner Ben has done since arriving in SK3, and the journey isn’t finished yet. We are delighted to have secured his services for a further two seasons, which will take him up to his testimonial year, as he bids to become the first County player to reach the 400 appearance mark for the club since Mike Flynn did so in 2000.
Director of Football, Simon Wilson said:
“Before we talk about everything Ben means to the club, let’s firstly talk about what a brilliant goalkeeper he is.
“Multiple seasons on the trot now the team has benefited from his excellent performances and all the signs are that he is getting better.
“While we have a brilliant goalkeeping department, led expertly by Nick Colgan, the credit must go to Ben. His work ethic and commitment to living the correct lifestyle is fantastic; this is a person who takes every opportunity he can to get better.
“Because of this, he has built an incredible personal chapter in the club’s recent history and already holds several club records. He is driven to attain more, and we will give him every opportunity to succeed. He is a fantastic role model on and off the pitch and is helping us enormously with everything we want to achieve.”
