Benson chosen as Sportstar of the Month

LOCAL soccer star Robbie Benson has been chosen as the winner of the Westmeath Independent Sports Star of the month for January. The 16-year-old has recently broke into Athlone Town"s senior team after impressing greatly for the youths in recent years. The former St Francis schoolboy player has been chosen for the award after receiving a call-up to the Irish senior schools" soccer squad for the 2009 Centenary Shield tournament. Also factored in was Benson"s involvement at a challenge tournament for the Irish schools" side in Jersey and his Man of the Match performance for Athlone Town youths in a 3-1 win over Wexford Youths in the fourth round of the Leinster Youths Cup. Benson is without doubt one of the Midlands" hottest soccer properties and has already made five appearances for Athlone"s first-team this season. Speaking upon receiving the award, Robbie said he was delighted to be chosen for a Westmeath Independent award and that he was currently enjoying playing in the League of Ireland First Division with Athlone Town. Benson has already played against Scotland and Northern Ireland in this year"s prestigious Centenary Shield, and recently netted his first goal for his country against Northern Ireland in a 2-0 win in Ballymoney. Robbie will also hope to make an impression when Ireland complete their Centenary Shield campaign against England on Friday in Waterford, a match will is to be screened on Sky Sports 1. Robbie played for St Francis and captained them to their first Under-14 Connaught Cup title. He represented the Athlone & District Schoolboy League at two Kennedy Cups and represented Athlone Town youths with distinction for a couple of years before earning promotion to the first-team set-up. Robbie, a Marist College student, has six international caps to date at under-15, 16 and 17 levels, and has played against countries such as Bulgaria, France, Germany and Turkey. Robbie also captained an FAI Development Squad at the Foyle Cup in Northern Ireland in 2008 and a very bright future in the game is predicted by many observers. The Westmeath Independent Sports Star of the Year Awards - kindly sponsored by the Hodson Bay Hotel - honour the cream of local sporting talent and twelve monthly award winners, as well as an overall Westmeath Independent Sports Star of the Year, will be presented with awards at a special gala function in the Hodson Bay Hotel early next year. The overall winner of last year"s Westmeath Independent Sports Star of the Year award was inter-county star and All-Star recipient John Keane.