The winner of Football's Next Star, Ben Greenhalgh, has now landed his first gig as a manager.
Back in 2010, Greenhalgh became a household name among fans after clinching the top spot on the popular Sky One show, which pitted young talents against each other for a chance to play under Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan. Out of 2,000 hopefuls, it was the then-17-year-old who emerged victorious, soon finding himself training alongside some of the biggest names in football as Mourinho led the team to Champions League glory.
Fast forward to today, after spending most of his playing days in Non-League football, Greenhalgh has transitioned into management. Having shone as a playmaker at Margate for three seasons, he's now been appointed player-manager with the task of propelling the club back to the Isthmian Premier League.
"It's a privilege to, not only be part of this club as a player, but to join some great managers in the history books of Margate FC," Greenhalgh expressed his excitement to the club's website following his appointment. "It's not something I take for granted. I thank the club for this opportunity and look forward to steering us back to winning ways."
During his stint with the Gate in the 2021/22 season, Greenhalgh demonstrated the prowess that initially impressed Jamie Redknapp on the Football's Next Star series, netting 24 goals and assisting 28 more. After his victory on the show, he trained with top-tier players in Italy, and it was even disclosed that Redknapp had a Premier League move lined up for him had he not secured the deal with Inter.
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"Early on, we were watching the first-team train when they needed another body. I got the call over, and I remember receiving the ball from [Ricardo] Quaresma," he told the Daily Mail. "I started running at Lucio and my legs turned to jelly. I looked up and realised who I was trying to dribble past.
"Jamie said if I hadn't won, I could've had a two-year deal at Tottenham. I never look back on it. Football can take you on so many different journeys."
After landing a six-month contract with Inter, amazingly, Greenhalgh ended up garnering a Champions League winners' medal, having been part of the squad that travelled for the final. He secured a one-year extension and relished a successful loan spell with third-tier team Como. However, hopes of a permanent move vanished as the club got tied up in a match-fixing scandal.
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Ben Greenhalgh with Jamie Redknapp (L) and Jose Mourinho (R) after winning Football's Next Star (Sky)Eventually, he returned home playing for squads like Welling, Ebbsfleet and Concord Rangers amongst others. Previously, Greenhalgh labelled his time at Scottish side Inverness Caledonian Thistle as his "best time in football", where he had the chance to be managed by England great Terry Butcher during the 2013/14 season.
From working as a body double for football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo to witnessing ex-Chelsea striker Diego Costa live up to his infamous reputation, it seems Greenhalgh's life has been littered with incredible moments.
Greenhalgh previously revealed to the Daily Mail: "As I was growing up, I moved more like Ronaldo. I was a winger, who liked to do skills. Admittedly I based myself on him and ended up looking a little bit like him.
Ben Greenhalgh acted as a body double for Cristiano Ronaldo (bengreenhalgh17/Instagram)"Back then at Manchester United, he was probably more willing than he is now. He hung about for three hours, did keepy-ups with me, showing skills, that's what he was like."
That is not Greenhalgh's only anecdote from his time as a body double, adding: "They got me to double for Diego Costa which I wasn't too happy about! Anyway, as they tried to film he kept slide tackling the camera. I've never seen anything like it, he was like a little kid in a man's body. I think that's why Chelsea got rid of him simply because [Antonio] Conte couldn't handle him!"
Looking towards the future, Greenhalgh has now stepped into his new role. He's taken over from Mark Stimson as Margate's manager after serving as the academy manager at Dartford. With fond memories of being a part of the Margate coaching staff when they attained their Kent Senior Cup victory in 2023, he's gearing up to lead his team back to the Isthmian Premier.
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