Fran Bentley


Francesca Bentley is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for FA WSL club Manchester United.
She has previously played in the youth ranks at Manchester City, on loan at Sheffield United and has represented England at under-17 level.

Club career

Early career

Bentley joined Manchester United aged nine and remained at the club for five years. In 2015, she joined local rivals Manchester City due to the limited first team opportunities available at her former club.

Manchester City

In July 2017, Bentley signed with the Manchester City development squad for the 2017–18 season and became a regular for the club. In April 2018, she helped the club win the FA Development League Cup. Bentley was named as an unused substitute for the first team on two occasions as they finished runners-up in the FA WSL and FA WSL Cup.

Manchester United

On 1 July 2018, Bentley returned to her former club and joined Manchester United ahead of their inaugural season in the FA Women's Championship, one of seven players to return to the senior side having played for the club at youth level. She made her senior debut as a 59th minute substitute in a Championship game against Millwall with the score at 6–0. The game finished 8–0.

2018–19 season: Loan to Sheffield United

On 8 February 2019, she was loaned to fellow Championship side Sheffield United until the end of the season. She played in six games during the loan, conceded four goals and won every game. She also notably assisted fellow Manchester United loanee Ebony Salmon's goal in a 2–1 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

2019–20 season

Bentley missed the start of the 2019–20 season after suffering a fractured humerus while on international duty with England under-18s.

International career

On 28 April 2017, Bentley made her debut for England under-17s in a 2–0 defeat to the United States. Six months later, she made her competitive debut and kept her first clean sheet for England in a 10–0 victory against Latvia in UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship qualification. Bentley made five appearances to help England qualify for the tournament.

Personal life

While playing for Manchester United, she enrolled onto the BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma Business course at Wigan and Leigh College.

Career statistics