Ben Godfrey Joins Rangers: A New Chapter in His Career
Ben Godfrey’s winding route through English, Italian and Danish football has brought him to one of the most demanding stages of all: Rangers.
The 28-year-old defender has signed ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, with the Scottish club securing an option to make the move permanent next summer. It is a deal that carries clear intent – Rangers want experience, authority and a player who has already lived in the glare of big clubs and big expectations.
Godfrey knows that world well.
Raised at York City, he broke through at his hometown club before Norwich City moved him into their academy system. That switch changed his trajectory. By the 2018/19 season he had forced his way into the Canaries’ first team, not as a bit-part youngster but as a central figure in their charge to promotion to the Premier League. He handled the pressure, handled the ball, and quickly marked himself out as a defender built for the top level.
Everton came calling in the summer of 2020. Godfrey arrived at Goodison Park and was thrown straight into the deep end, making his debut in a 2-2 Merseyside derby – a baptism under the fiercest of spotlights. Across his time in England’s top flight he passed the 100-appearance mark, a body of work that underpins his reputation as a reliable, athletic presence at the back and earned him senior caps for England.
After that, the path bent again. In 2024 he crossed into Serie A with Atalanta, a move that underlined his standing across Europe. The Italian club then sent him on loan to Brøndby for the second half of last season, where he sampled the different rhythm of the Danish Superliga and added another layer to an already varied career.
Now comes the Glasgow chapter.
“I am buzzing, I am really happy to be here,” Godfrey said after completing the move. “I know the size of the club so it is a massive honour to be wearing the shirt this season, and I can’t wait to get started.
“I am looking forward to meeting the boys and hopefully helping this club achieve what it deserves, which is silverware and exciting times.”
The message is clear: this is not a quiet end-of-career detour. Godfrey has come to compete.
Manager Derek McInnes made no attempt to play down the significance of the signing. “Ben is a player who has competed at a very high level throughout his career. He’s played in the Premier League, been involved with England, and brings a lot of experience with him,” he said.
“He’s a strong, athletic defender with good qualities both on and off the ball, and we believe he can add a lot to the squad. We’re pleased to get him in, and I’m looking forward to working with him in the season ahead.”
That blend – physical power, top-level know-how and a CV that stretches from York to Norwich, from Liverpool derbies to Serie A nights and Scandinavian winters – is exactly what Rangers are buying.
The club have given themselves flexibility with the option to make the deal permanent next summer. Godfrey, in turn, has been handed the kind of stage where defenders are judged without mercy. Titles, trophies, Europe, the relentless demand for “silverware and exciting times” he spoke about – it is all there in front of him now.
