Rovers have made it a double signing on Friday as they have announced the temporary acquisition of highly-rated left-back, Ben Chrisene, who arrives in Lancashire from Premier League title-challengers, Aston Villa.
The defender, who has been around the environment of a first-team since the tender age of 15, arrives at Ewood Park looking to bolster Rovers’ backline which has been rather leaky in recent weeks, and also to provide competition and depth as well as furthering his development playing a progressive style of football, similar to his parent club.
Chrisene, who began his career as a midfielder at hometown club, Exeter City, became the Grecian’s youngest ever player in August 2019, when he came off the bench for Matt Taylor’s side, despite their 4-1 defeat to Coventry City in the Carabao Cup. Whilst the defender was only able to savour his senior debut for a few minutes, he soon grew in stature with Exeter as he played three games in the EFL Trophy, alongside making his league debut in a brief cameo to see out a 2-0 victory and clean-sheet against Rovers’ Saturday opponents in the FA Cup; Cambridge United.
With 2019-20 giving Chrisene an opportunity to understand and learn the rigours of professional football, as well as being drip-fed into a first-team environment, it wasn’t long until he swapped Devon for the Second City, as Aston Villa looked to capitalise on his potential as early as possible, snapping him up from the League Two outfit – at just 16, in August 2020 – for a reported estimated value of around £1.5m. Despite the move to Villa, there were many reports that suggested Chrisbene had personally been in talks with Liverpool, Chelsea and German giants, Bayern Munich, among other top clubs who looked to prise him away from the Grecians, however he believed Villa Park was the best environment for his development.
After moving into Villa’s academy set-up, Chrisene made his Villa debut – despite it technically being for their under-21s – in the EFL Trophy in November 2020, before his senior debut came in the FA Cup Third Round, playing over an hour before being substituted in the 4-1 loss, as Villa fielded an entire team of youth players as a result of a COVID-19 outbreak in their squad. Chrisbene’s growth within the Villan’s youth set-up and his time on the field against the reigning Premier League champions did enough to convince the Claret and Blue hierarchy to give the teenager his first professional deal.
The winger-turned-defender’s progress continued to skyrocket as he lifted his first piece of silverware, in the FA Youth Cup, exacting revenge over Liverpool, netting the opener in a 2-1 victory in the final.
After further honing his craft in the Villa academy, then-manager Steven Gerrard rewarded Chrisbene’s progress with a new contract in January 2022, before dangling the carrot in-front of him by including him in four out of five consecutive first-team matchday squads. Despite being an unused substitute for those games – including three towards the end of the season against Leicester, Liverpool and Manchester City – the defender would have learnt a bucketload in terms of matchday preparation, training and other nuances of the professional game.
With 2022-23 on the horizon, the Villa hierarchy believed that Chrisbene had outgrown youth football at 18 and would benefit more from experiencing a first-team environment; thus, Kilmarnock won the race for his signature on a season-long loan, however despite just 15 appearances in all competitions, the defender’s campaign was cut short in January 2023 after he tore his medial ligament, which cut his loan spell and season short, despite impressing in East Ayrshire.
After returning to full fitness in pre-season, Chrisbene has eased his way back to full fitness by returning to Villa’s youth setup during the first-half of 2023-24, before the opportunity to join Rovers materialised, which saw Gregg Broughton move quickly for the defender’s signature.
The highly-rated defender’s international career is also a route as to how he caught the eye of some of Europe’s elite. The Three Lions has been a key area that has aided in Chrisene’s progression, with him having turned out for the under-15s, 16, 17s and 19s as he stormed up the international pathway. There will be one familiar face for the defender when he walks into Brockhall, having played alongside Adam Wharton when the pair made their respective debuts for the under-19s, in a 2-0 victory over Montenegro.
Once all of the paperwork was signed, Chrisbene sat down with RoversTV to reflect on the move up north as the defender highlighted Head Coach, Jon Dahl Tomasson to be a key factor being his decision to swap Claret and Blue for the superior Lancashire colours of Blue and White:
“I’m really pleased and this is a really good opportunity for me. It’s a young team, the manager plays young players because age doesn’t matter to him. When you’re ready, you’re ready.
“He (Jon Dahl Tomasson) was very convincing. I had a call with him the other day and I don’t think I stopped nodding and grinning!
“He’s a nice guy, which is a good thing. I’ve only been in the building for a short time but I’ve already felt that I really want to be here, which is what you want. I have to take everything in my stride to play my game and not worry about any other things.
“It happened really quickly. Once you hear of the interest from Blackburn Rovers, with the history of the club and all the good things you hear, you’re always desperate to know more. The most important thing for me is getting minutes and playing senior football,” he added enthusiastically.
“I’ve had a little taste of it so far and I want to get as much as I can. When you’re young, you always think that you’re on the brink of it, and I hope I can get to the point where I’m cemented as a first-team player.
“I’m an athletic player, I can get up and down the pitch and I’m very technical on the ball.”
Gregg Broughton, Rovers’ Director of Football, was also invited to comment on his latest acquisition:
“We are really happy to make Ben our second signing of the January transfer window.
“Ben made his first team debut for Exeter at the age of 15, before earning his move to Aston Villa and has featured for England throughout the age groups.
“He will bring additional pace and physicality to our backline, and he is very comfortable in possession.
“Ben has spent the first half of this season training with Aston Villa’s first team squad and we are delighted that he has chosen Blackburn Rovers to continue his development.”
Great to have you, Ben!
