Peterborough United award a professional contract to another graduate from the Academy

It’s the perfect birthday present for the teenager who is 18 tomorrow (December 30).

Mensah, who has already tasted first team football with appearances in the Papa John’s Trophy both last season and this, has impressed manager Darren Ferguson, particularly since the start of the campaign where he has demonstrated his potential in the first team group and for the under 23 side.

Ferguson said: “Benji thoroughly deserves the contract. He has developed a lot since the start of the campaign, improving in the areas that he needed to and kicked on.

“He can play as a right back or as a right wing-back. He is aggressive and is an excellent one v one defender. Everyone talks about the qualities that a modern day full-back or wing back needs to have, and he certainly has all of those, but he is strong in that one v one aspect of the game and that is important.

“A lot of credit must go to Kieran Scarff, Matthew Etherington and Simon Davies who have worked with him within the Academy. It is great that we have another player that has graduated from the Academy system.”

Academy manager Kieran Scarff added: “Benji is a lovely lad who works very hard and we enjoy working with him day in, day out. He has been consistent with his performances this season and credit to him for that. He has done well with the youth team and the under 23s and has done well when he has been given the opportunity within the first team squad.

“We have always spoke about the pathway from the Academy through to the first team and this is another example of that.”

Mensah joins Sam Cartwright, Brad Rolt, Kyle Barker, Flynn Clarke, Ricky-Jade Jones, Archie Jones and Harrison Burrows as Academy graduates to recently earn professional contracts at the Weston Homes Stadium.