Joe Bell

Joe Zen Robert Bell (born 27 April 1999) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Eliteserien club Viking FK and the New Zealand national team.

Club Career

Wellington Phoenix Reserves

Bell moved to Wellington to join the Wellington Phoenix Academy where he started playing for the Wellington Phoenix Reserves in the New Zealand Football Championship for the 2014–15 season, playing 12 games with four starts. He played for the reserves for another two seasons, appearing 14 times in the 2015–16 season with 10 starts and eight times with six starts in the 2016–17 season. With the New Zealand football championship played over the summer, Bell played for Wellington United in the Central League during the winter.

Virginia Cavaliers

Bell joined the Virginia Cavaliers who play in the NCAA Division I in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Bell started 55 straight games since joining the University. He scored six goals and had ten assists across three seasons, while also spending time with amateur club Charlottesville Alliance during the 2018 NPSL season.

Following his successful FIFA U-20 World Cup campaign, Bell drew the interest of several European sides, trialing with Eliteserien side Viking and eventually being offered a contract. However, with the University of Virginia offering him a full scholarship at year's end, Bell decided to delay going professional to get his degree.

Bell had a successful 2019 season with the Cavaliers as co-captain of the team which won the ACC Coastal Division and won the ACC Men's Tournament for the first time since 2009. The team ended the season winning 21 games, which was one shy of a school record. The Cavaliers entered the 2019 NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 seed. After wins over Campbell, St. John's, SMU and Wake Forest, Virginia lost in the final to Georgetown finishing runner up for the second time in school history. Bell ended the season playing 21 games of which he star