He's back: Portsmouth title-winner and ex-Coventry man ends agonising five-month hunt for new club in style
The League One title-winner had been without a club since May
A Pompey title winner finally ended his five-month hunt for a new club - then within hours helped them to a second league win of the season.
Ben Stevenson had been a free agent since his release from Cambridge United in May, during which time he trialled with Notts County and attended the PFA’s pre-season training camp.
The 28-year-old was subsequently handed a start for the Football League’s bottom club in that afternoon’s home clash with Fleetwood.
And he featured for 90 minutes in his first competitive match since May as the Robins claimed a 2-0 triumph which hauled them off the foot of League Two.
Scorer of their second goal was Josh Martin, a Pompey League One title-winning team-mate of Stevenson, as Cotterill tasted instant success upon his emotional return to a club he previously managed 23 years earlier.
And the ex-Blues boss afterwards spoke about Stevenson’s impact, with victory lifting them above Newport and Shrewsbury into 22nd spot.
‘He’ll give us that composure in there’
‘They sat somebody on him today (Saturday), which made it more difficult, but we flipped it and went to a two and a one, which is what Youngy (Luke Young) enables us to do, from a one and a two, so instead of a six and two eights, we went to two sixes and a 10.
‘He (Stevenson) hasn't played for a long time, so he's done well to last as long as he did. He has trained, done pre-season with Notts County, he had quite a few others, but nothing happened and the other things on the table had gone, people had moved on.
‘Hopefully we'll benefit from having Ben with us. He's a good lad and they are all good lads. It's a decent dressing room for him to come into.’
Rich Hughes reunion in June 2023
Stevenson reunited with sporting director Rich Hughes at Fratton Park in June 2023, after Hughes had previously signed him for Forest Green Rovers.
The midfielder went on to feature 10 times in Pompey’s 2023-24 League One title-winning campaign, although that consisted of just one league start as he offered solid cover for Marlon Pack, Joe Morrell and Alex Robertson.
Yet Stevenson was sidelined by injury during the second half of that memorable season after sustaining knee ligament damage in training, the same session in which Alex Robertson suffered his season-ending hamstring tear.
He subsequently made just two more outings for the Blues and wasn’t even registered for their 25-man Football League squad after September 2024.
Portsmouth departure by mutual consent
In January, his contract was cancelled by mutual consent, enabling him to seal a short-term move to Cambridge United, where he made 18 appearances as they were relegated from League One.
Now he has the chance to impress at Cheltenham, who recently dismissed Michael Flynn following a dreadful start to the season, with Cotterill challenged to turn around their worrying form.