Ben recently returned from Malta where the team competed in the qualifying preliminary rounds of the UEFA Futsal European Championships. Although unbeaten for the last eight games of the tournament, they went out on goal difference after drawing against eventual group winners Latvia. But the players already have the 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup firmly in their sights, with the preliminary qualifying rounds starting later this year. England captain Ben, who has played with the team for seven years, said: 'It was sad to go out of the European championships, but we’re now looking forward to the World Cup, with the preliminaries coming up and a friendly this month against Sweden when we’re hoping to extend our run of games unbeaten to 10.' Ben, 28, who graduated from the BSc (Hons) Sport Therapy in 2008, is currently working as first team massage therapist with Premiership football team Hull City Tigers. He said: 'I’m originally from Grimsby and decided to study at Teesside as it was one of just a few universities offering the sports therapy course I wanted to do. The Olympia building and facilities were really impressive and the Students’ Union was great.' While studying for the degree Ben become involved with Teesside University’s newly established futsal team and went on to be selected for the Great Britain University team, competing in tournaments in Portugal and Bernau in the Czech Republic. He said: 'After graduating from Teesside I returned to Grimsby where I worked as a sports therapist with Grimsby Town Football Club. After about three years I went to London to work with Barnet FC, before working with the Spurs first team and then Wolverhampton Wanderers as first team sports therapist.' Ben, who now lives in Howden, went on to set up his own sports therapy clinic before starting his current role with Hull City Tigers. He added: 'Studying at Teesside really helped me to progress in my career as the course had great content, the facilities were brilliant and I made some of my best friends there. If I hadn’t gone to Teesside University I wouldn’t have got involved in the futsal team which led me to play for England and I wouldn’t have worked with Premier League teams.'