Barnsley Football Club’s forward-thinking chief executive Ben Mansford will be going in to Horizon College early next month to tell ‘his story’.

Ben is one of the committed speakers in the Barnsley Businesses Inspiring Students venture – which has been put together by Lifetime and being trialled at the Dodworth-based school.

The 33-year-old will speak to around 200 Y7/Y8 Horizon students who attend an after-school master class. This will take place on Thursday, December 12 at 3.15pm in Horizon theatre.

Ben (pictured) took over the role as chief executive of Barnsley FC earlier this year.

He had previously been a sports lawyer, and director of Los Angeles-based sports marketing and management firm Wasserman Media Group.

Said Ben: “It is a great honour and a privilege to be involved in the management of such a historic club.

“We need Oakwell to become the place where people come to watch football and enjoy themselves during what are still tough economic times.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of continuing to show that anything is possible.

Ben has over 10 years experience in professional sport, mainly as an agent with WMG and practicing as a sports solicitor at Walker Morris in Leeds.

While with Wasserman Media, Ben negotiated employment contracts in the UK and abroad for players and has handled regulatory issues with the football authorities.

He has negotiated commercial licensing and sponsorship agreements as well as handling image and intellectual property rights for clients. He advised Fabien Delph on his transfer from Leeds United to Aston Villa for £8m and advised the administrators of Crystal Palace on the sale of Victor Moses to Wigan for £2m.

As a lawyer at Walker Morris, Leeds, he specialised in sports related matters acting for players, athletes, coaches, managers, clubs and agents.