Former Lincoln City full-back Ben Coker has signed for National League South side Ebbsfleet United at the age of 34.
The ex-Colchester United and Southend United defender makes the move after two years at Barnet, where he helped the Bees to a promotion-winning campaign.
Aiming for promotion
Coker, once viewed as a potential key signing for Lincoln City during a turbulent period in their 2019–20 season, has joined Ebbsfleet United as he continues an extensive playing career that has spanned more than 400 senior appearances. Now 35, the veteran left-back told FleetTV:
“Last year was a great year for me and I played a lot of football. The move here was really straightforward, and I can’t wait to get going again. All I want to do is get Fleet back into the National League and bring my enthusiasm to the team.”
Coker arrives from Barnet, where he enjoyed a regular run in the team following moves from Solihull Moors and Stevenage. His time in Hertfordshire was largely injury-hit, but a resurgence in form at Barnet led to over 60 appearances across two seasons.
While he is best known for a six-year spell at Southend United—where he helped guide the Shrimpers to League One via the play-offs in 2015—Coker’s more recent years have seen him return to the non-league scene where he first made his name.
His early career began at Bury Town before a move to Colchester United in 2008. After just under 50 appearances for the Essex outfit, he was released in 2013. His spell at Sincil Bank came in 2019 under Danny Cowley, but he failed to make a senior appearance due to injury, becoming part of a trio of highly anticipated full-back signings—alongside Aaron Lewis and Max Melbourne—that never truly delivered on their potential.
Writer’s View
Ben Coker’s move to Ebbsfleet United is a reminder that, while his time at Lincoln City was forgettable, his career has been anything but. Injury setbacks prevented him from ever getting going in a red and white shirt, but his resilience has taken him back to the National League South with one clear goal: to inspire another promotion push.
For Lincoln fans, his name may conjure frustration, but Coker has quietly built a long and respectable career across the EFL and beyond. Now entering the twilight of his playing days, he appears just as driven as ever—and if his experience counts for anything, Ebbsfleet have secured a solid addition to their squad.
