Ben Gladwin

Benjamin Thomas Charles Gladwin (born 8 June 1992) is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder.

Ben Gladwin

Gladwin with Swindon Town in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Benjamin Thomas Charles Gladwin[1]
Date of birth	(1992-06-08) 8 June 1992 (age 33)
Place of birth	Reading, England
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[2]
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Al-Hital (assistant)
Youth career
2001–2005	Reading
2005–2006	Eldon Celtic
2006–2009	Aldershot Town
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2009–2010	AFC Wallingford	22	(6)
2010	Salisbury City
2010–2011	Windsor & Eton[a]	0	(0)
2011	Burnham	16	(1)
2011–2012	Hayes & Yeading United	2	(0)
2012	Reading Town	14	(6)
2012–2013	Marlow	19	(8)
2013	Hayes & Yeading United	4	(0)
2013	Marlow	49	(19)
2013–2015	Swindon Town	47	(8)
2015–2017	Queens Park Rangers	14	(0)
2015–2016	→ Swindon Town (loan)	13	(2)
2016	→ Bristol City (loan)	1	(0)
2017	→ Swindon Town (loan)	18	(2)
2017–2020	Blackburn Rovers	5	(0)
2020–2021	Milton Keynes Dons	35	(3)
2021–2023	Swindon Town	59	(6)
2023–2024	Crawley Town	27	(3)
Total		391	(46)
Managerial career
2024	Crawley Town (caretaker)
2025	Milton Keynes Dons (caretaker)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gladwin has played for 12 clubs including Swindon Town (three previous spells), Queens Park Rangers, Blackburn Rovers, Milton Keynes Dons and Crawley Town.

Career

Swindon Town

Gladwin began at Reading's academy,^[3] and after being released played youth football with Eldon Celtic^[4] and Aldershot Town.^[4][5] He began his senior career in North Berks League Division One with AFC Wallingford,^[6] winning their Player of the Season award in his first campaign aged just 17.^[7] He then spent time playing for various non-League football teams such as Salisbury City^[8][9] and Hayes & Yeading United,^[10] before moving into professional football when Swindon Town signed the midfielder from Marlow in November 2013.^[11]

Gladwin made his debut for Swindon on 10 December 2013, in a 1–1 draw at home to Stevenage in the EFL Trophy.^[12] His first goal for the club came the following season, in a 3–2 loss against Plymouth Argyle in the same competition.^[13] On 14 April 2015, Gladwin scored a first-half hat-trick in a 4–2 win away to Rochdale.^[14] On 11 May 2015, Gladwin scored twice in Swindon's 5–5 draw with Sheffield United in the Football League play-offs, but Swindon went on to lose in the final 4–0 against Preston North End.

Queens Park Rangers

On 28 May 2015, Gladwin and Swindon Town teammate Massimo Luongo, joined Queens Park Rangers, both players signing on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.^[15]

On 11 August 2015, Gladwin made his competitive QPR debut in a 3–0 win against Yeovil Town in the first round of the 2015–16 Football League Cup.^[16] On 10 January 2017, Gladwin moved to Swindon Town for a second loan spell until the end of the season.^[17]

Blackburn Rovers

On 28 June 2017, Gladwin joined League One side Blackburn Rovers on a two-year deal.^[18] In November 2017, Gladwin suffered an injury for which he required surgery that ruled him out of play until February 2018.^[19][20] On 2 January 2020 he was released.^[21]

Milton Keynes Dons

Gladwin signed for Milton Keynes Dons on 10 January 2020 on a short-term deal.^[22] Despite several positive performances, he was initially one of nine players released by the club after the conclusion of the 2019–20 season.^[23] However, on 28 July 2020 the club announced Gladwin had returned and re-signed ahead of the 2020–21 campaign.^[24]

Swindon Town return

Gladwin returned to Swindon Town on 26 July 2021 on a free transfer signing a one-year contract.^[25] On 20 January 2022, Gladwin signed a new contract to keep him at the club beyond the end of the season.^[26]

Crawley Town

On 27 January 2023, Gladwin signed for Crawley Town for an undisclosed fee on an eighteen-month contract.^[27] After helping Crawley win promotion in the 2023-24 season, Gladwin retired from playing, citing his ongoing knee issues, and joined the club's coaching staff.

Coaching career

On 26 September 2024, Gladwin was appointed Crawley Town caretaker manager, following the departure of Scott Lindsey.^[28]

On 4 October 2024, Gladwin followed Lindsey to another of his former clubs, joining Milton Keynes Dons as first-team coach.^[29] In March 2025, following the sacking of Lindsey, Gladwin was appointed interim manager.^[30]

Career statistics

As of end of 2023–24 season

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
AFC Wallingford	2009–10[31]	North Berks League Division One	17	5	—		—		7	1	24	6
	2010–11[32]	North Berks League Division One	5	1	—		—		2[b]	0	7	1
	Total		22	6	—		—		9	1	31	7
Windsor & Eton	2010–11[33]	Southern League Premier Division	—[a]		—		—		—		0	0
Burnham	2010–11[33]	Southern League Division One Central	12	1	—		—		—		12	1
	2011–12[33]	Southern League Division One Central	4	0	4	0	—		2[c]	0	10	0
	Total		16	1	4	0	—		2	0	22	1
Hayes & Yeading United	2011–12[34]	Conference Premier	2	0	—		—		0	0	2	0
Reading Town	2011–12[35]	Hellenic League Premier Division	14	6	—		—		5[d]	4	19	10
Hayes & Yeading United	2012–13[33]	Conference South	4	0	—		—		1[e]	0	5	0
Marlow	2012–13[f][36]	Hellenic League Premier Division	25	12	4	0	—		6[g]	0	35	12
	2013–14[33]	Southern League Division One Central	15	7	1	0	—		5[h]	5	21	12
	Total		40	19	5	0	—		11	5	56	24
Swindon Town	2013–14[37]	League One	13	0	—		—		3[i]	0	16	0
	2014–15[38]	League One	34	8	1	0	2	0	4[j]	3	41	11
	Total		47	8	1	0	2	0	7	3	57	11
Queens Park Rangers	2015–16[39]	Championship	7	0	1	0	1	0	—		9	0
	2016–17[40]	Championship	7	0	1	0	0	0	—		8	0
	Total		14	0	2	0	1	0	—		17	0
Swindon Town (loan)	2015–16[39]	League One	13	2	0	0	—		—		13	2
Bristol City (loan)	2015–16[39]	Championship	1	0	—		—		—		1	0
Swindon Town (loan)	2016–17[40]	League One	18	2	—		—		—		18	2
Blackburn Rovers	2017–18[41]	League One	5	0	1	0	2	0	3[i]	0	11	0
	2018–19[42]	Championship	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
	2019–20[43]	Championship	0	0	—		0	0	—		0	0
	Total		5	0	1	0	2	0	3	0	11	0
Milton Keynes Dons	2019–20[43]	League One	9	1	—		—		—		9	1
	2020–21[44]	League One	26	2	2	0	0	0	2[i]	0	30	2
	Total		35	3	2	0	0	0	2	0	39	3
Swindon Town	2021–22[45]	League Two	36	5	3	0	0	0	2[k]	0	41	5
	2022–23[46]	League Two	23	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	23	1
	Total		59	6	3	0	0	0	2	0	64	6
Crawley Town	2022–23[46]	League Two	14	1	—		—		—		14	1
	2023–24	League Two	13	2	1	0	—		—		14	2
	Total		27	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	28	2
Career total			391	46	19	0	5	0	36	9	451	28

1. Gladwin made two appearances for Windsor & Eton in the 2010–2011 Southern League Premier Division; however these matches were expunged when the club folded before the end of the season
2. One appearance in North Berks Cup; one appearance in North Berks Charity Shield
3. Appearance(s) in FA Trophy
4. Four appearances three goals in Hellenic League Supplementary Cup; one appearance one goal in Berks & Bucks Senior Cup
5. Appearance(s) in Middlesex Senior Cup
6. Gladwin played for Marlow in two separate spells during the 2012–13 season
7. Two appearances in FA Vase; three appearances in Hellenic League Challenge Cup; one appearance in Berks & Bucks Senior Cup
8. Three appearances four goals in FA Trophy; one appearance one goal in Southern League Cup; one appearance in Berks & Bucks Senior Cup
9. Appearance(s) in Football League Trophy
10. One appearance one goal in Football League Trophy; three appearances two goals in League One play-offs
11. Appearance(s) in League Two play-offs

Honours

Reading Town

• Hellenic League Supplementary Cup: 2011–12^[35]

Marlow

• Hellenic League Premier Division: 2012–13^[36][47]

Blackburn Rovers

• EFL League One second-place promotion: 2017–18^[48]

Individual

• AFC Wallingford Player of the Year: 2009–10^[7]