Chorley meets up with his new friends in the north

Jul 13 2007 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

FOR a footballer who spent his entire life and career in the south of England, Ben Chorley makes a persuasive argument for the merits of moving north to join Tranmere Rovers.

The 24-year-old defender from Sidcup sees Prenton Park as the ideal location to further his ambitions in the game and connect with the deep-seated football culture of Merseyside and the North West.

“Everyone down south knows that this is a hotbed of football,” Chorley says.

“People up here are very passionate about their football. I have played a Prenton Park on a number of occasions and experienced it. I am excited about coming here.”

Chorley’s progress through the game’s professional ranks took him to Arsenal, Brentford, MK Dons and Gillingham. The journey included two FA Youth Cup successes with the Gunners and more than 130 appearances in the three divisions of the Football League.

Chorley says: “Moving to a club in the north was a big decision. But I’m 24 years old and I have been living on my own since I was 18. Staying in digs and living in your own place you develop a hard shell. I know how to look after myself and I like to keep my feet on the ground. Coming up here isn’t a difficulty. I’ve come here because I want to work hard and do well.”

Chorley went on: “I am attracted to this area and I like what I have seen so far. There is a strong concentration of clubs at every level in the North West, so lots of the games have some rivalry about them.”

Those two FA Youth Cup triumphs at Arsenal were secured by a team bursting with the young talent.

Several went on to make the grade in Arsene Wenger’s Premiership side but not Chorley, who had to wait for a loan spell Brentford in 2002 for his first taste of league football.

Later in that season Chorley moved to Wimbledon, then a Championship club, on a free transfer.

He built up his experience while Wimbledon made the transition into MK Dons, dropping a couple divisions along the journey. He spent most of last season back in League One, on an extended loan to Gillingham.

Chorley looks back on his early days and says: “People talk about the fact that I did not get into the first team while I was at Arsenal. But I would not change anything. I would not exchange the grounding I got there and winning those Youth Cups.”

Chorley is described by Tranmere manager Ronnie Moore as “the strong dominant centre-back we have been looking for”.

At 6ft 3in he strikes a solid, imposing figure.

Not that he regards himself as simply a no-nonsense blocker. Chorley says: “I have heard that before but I like to think that growing up in the game at Arsenal, I have a little bit of football in me.

“I do know when it is time to play and when not to play.

“You have to win your battles, your headers and your tackles in this division. You aim to be a centre-back people don’t want to play against.

“I find that if attackers don’t get any out of you in the first quarter of an hour, they very often don’t want to play much after that.”

Chorley also has a strong vocal presence on the field, a quality valuable to Moore who was concerned about the communication – or lack of it – within his Tranmere team last season.

“Talking is natural for me, it’s not forced,” Chorley said. “I like to try and give direction and organise. I’m not trying to stand out, just trying to help others along the way. I have always been someone who likes to be on the front foot. I would sooner take the game by the scruff of the neck than wait for someone else to do it.

“A lot of the modern game is played with the voice is well as the feet and the head. The more people talk on the pitch the better.”

Chorley had stacked up more than 100 games for MK Dons when he fell out with manager Martin Allen early last season. The result was a temporary move to Gillingham where he played 27 games.

They included two wins over Tranmere. Chorley scored Gillingham’s winner in a 3-2 success of Prenton Park last December.

Even so, he hopes there is potential in the Tranmere side to mount a promotion challenge in 2007/08. He said: “The squad has not changed much since last season and they were in the top half of the table throughout. There is quality here. I think we must have a chance of doing well this season.”