Huddersfield Town confirmed the return of the popular Ian Bennett on Wednesday afternoon, with the 42-year-old rejoining the club as their new Lead Academy Goalkeeping Coach.

Bennett was one of eight players released by Town at the end of the 2013/2014 campaign but the club have acted swiftly to bring him back in a role which will see him guide the club's young goalkeepers, ranging from the ages of 12 to 18.

He will work closely with another former Town goalkeeper in Nick Colgan as the club finalise their backroom staff ahead of the new season.

A return to Town means Bennett is the third of Town's released players to have resolved his future after Calum Woods completed a move to Preston North End and Keith Southern teamed up with Fleetwood Town.

To celebrate the return of Benno, as he is lovingly known by the Town fans, we have compiled 10 facts on the shot stopper's career, which spanned an impressive 26 years in total.

1) The veteran goalkeeper began his career as a YTS (Youth Training Scheme) trainee with QPR in 1988/1989 before signing his first professional terms with Newcastle United in the same season.

2) Bennett moved to Peterborough in March 1991, where he would make 89 first-team appearances and gain two promotions - from the old fourth and third divisions - before moving to Birmingham City for £325,000 in December 1993.

3) He was named in the 1994/1995 Football League Second Division PFA Team of the Year in an XI which also featured his then Blues team-mates Gary Poole, Liam Daish and Mark Ward, as well as former Town players Tom Cowan and the legendary Andy Booth.

4) One of his most famous performances was for the Blues during their League Cup final defeat to Liverpool in 2000/2001, when the Reds prevailed 5-4 on penalties. That was not for the want of trying on Bennett's part, however, after making tremendous saves from Vladimir Smicer, Robbie Fowler and Sami Hyypia.

5) His 350th appearance for Birmingham came in the west Midlands derby against arch-rivals Aston Villa.

6) In late 2004 he went on loan to Sheffield United and played five times as cover for the injured Paddy Kenny before another temporary move, this time to Coventry City, where he picked up the unwanted record of being the only goalkeeper to be sent off in a league match at Highfield Road after receiving his marching orders in a 0-0 draw with Stoke City in February 2005.

7) His next move was to Leeds United, bringing the curtain down on a 12-year stint with Birmingham, but his career stalled at Elland Road as he made just four outings during his season-long stay at the club.

8) Bennett moved back to Sheffield United at the end of his time with Leeds but during his four years at Bramall Lane he was unable to displace Paddy Kenny in goal and largely played second fiddle.

9) Arrived at Huddersfield in 2010 and teamed up once more with Gary Naysmith (from his time at Sheffield United) and manager Lee Clark, who he was in the same team as at Newcastle. Alex Smithies' injuries gave him a prolonged run in the team and he rewarded the club with a penalty save during Town's 2010/2011 play-off semi-final with Bournemouth before making two more spot-kick stops in Town's promotion-winning campaign of 2011/2012.

10) It was announced in May 2014 that Bennett had been released from Town at the age of 42 but he rejoined the club in a Lead Academy Goalkeeping Coach to extend his association with the club.

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