HIS father was a Premier League cult hero who lit up Eastlands and Fratton Park, but Benjani Jr is hoping to make a name for himself in his own right.
His father, Benjani Sr was one of the cult heroes of the 2000s Premier League era and no doubt earned his “streets won’t forget” status.
Fans of both Manchester City and Portsmouth remember the striker fondly for his iconic celebration which saw him point dramatically to each corner of the crowd before waving his arm from side to side.
Although it was unclear exactly what the celebration symbolised at the time, the Zimbabwe international later explained the celebration by saying: “I’m addressing myself to the fans and saying, ‘I like you, and you and you.”
And one of the most iconic uses of that celebration came in the Manchester derby in his debut for City.
After arriving from Portsmouth in January 2008 for £4.86million he was thrown into the deep end when he was handed his debut against Sir Alex Ferguson’s United side.
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Benjani’s header on that day put City 2-0 up and the Cityzens were able to hold on despite Michael Carrick pulling a goal back.
It was a goal that etched Benjani into Manchester City folklore and was enough to give the club their first win at Old Trafford since 1974.
Of course, times have changed since then, with Sheikh Mansour buying the club just months later and turning the City’s fortunes around.
And now Benjani’s son is making his own way in the game.
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Benjani Mwaruwari Jr, 18, is a striker just like his Dad and currently impressing for Yeovil Town in the National League.
The son of the Premier League cult legend made his name known to the Yeovil faithful a fortnight ago when he scored a stunning free-kick against Keynsham Town.
The youngster had been a member of Manchester City’s academy since his father’s days, but was not offered a scholarship by City and subsequently joined Yeovil’s youth ranks.
After impressing for Yeovil’s Under 18s side, he was offered a professional contract this summer and has slowly been integrating into the first team ever since.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
