Football's a family affair for Pompey man

But now the Bennetts are emerging at the next footballing dynasty of the English game.

Pompey’s Kyle Bennett is today hoping to get one over older brother Elliott as his side travel to Blackburn.

The pair are one of a long line of siblings to earn a career in the game.

Bennett explained, however, the family talent runs a lot deeper than just the pair currently earning their trade in League One.

Brother, James, is carving out a name for himself in the non-league game as a promising and pacy winger.

And the next generation of the clan are represented by nephew, Theo Hannah, who’s coming through the ranks at Wolves.

‘Football’s in the family,’ Bennett said, at he discussed his family tree.

‘I have five brothers and two sisters. I am fourth and Elliott is second.

‘My little brother, James, plays. He is 19 now. He’s had trials at Wolves, Walsall, Villa and Shrewsbury and is quite highly rated.

‘Those clubs were when he was younger. He is in non-league now. A winger.

‘There’s the three of us in our family. My little nephew, Theo Hannah, is at Wolves at the minute. My sister’s son is in the under-eights or under-nines.

‘It’s a real football family and we all love it and enjoy it but you have to keep down to earth with it as well.

‘At that age, especially eight, you think you are going to make it.

‘I went to watch him a couple of weeks ago and it was good to go and see and the Academy has come on since I was there.’

The Bennett family matriarch, Tracey, is the driving force of the family’s football passion.

She can be found on Twitter, as she proudly follows the progress of her boys, and was in town in May for the title celebrations.

Bennett said: ‘My mum follows football because of us two playing, it’s for us really. She was born in Stoke and her dad used to go to games.

‘It’s difficult for her because it’s so far away from Telford for her to travel and so many different games.

‘She doesn’t get to as many as she used to but she loves her football and knows quite a lot about it.

‘She’s been there our whole career and taken us to a lot of matches and so has the old man (Paul).’

Bennett has no doubt he has much to thank his father for when it comes to talent.

He said: ‘My dad used to play, he had trials at West Brom but non-league.

‘He was a good player, don’t get me wrong, but did some bad stuff - the women and drinking.

‘He played for Aberystwyth, okay standard to be fair. You know how it is when you are young. He got involved in bad stuff and wasn’t a good boy.

‘I used to go and watch him, he was a good player.

‘He was a midfielder and winger and as his legs gone centre-midfield and centre back, non-league circuit in the Midlands but honestly he was a really good player, I’m not just say it because he was my dad, he was actually a good player.’