Jayden Nelson

Jayden Nelson (born September 26, 2002) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a winger for Rosenborg and the Canada national team.

Jayden Nelson
A man peeking above an electronic billboard
Nelson in 2020
Personal information
Date of birth (2002-09-26) September 26, 2002
Place of birth Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Position(s) Winger
Team information
Current team
 Rosenborg
Number 11
Youth career
0000–2016 Brampton YSC
2016–2018 Toronto FC
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2018 Toronto FC III 8 (1)
2018–2019 Toronto FC II 14 (0)
2020–2022 Toronto FC 45 (1)
2021 → Toronto FC II (loan) 9 (3)
2023– Rosenborg 19 (2)
International career‡
2017 Canada U15 4 (0)
2019 Canada U17 9 (5)
2020– Canada 5 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 24 October 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of July 4, 2023

Early life

Nelson grew up in Brampton, Ontario[1] and began playing soccer at age four with Brampton YSC.[2] He later joined the Toronto FC Academy at age 14.[3][4]

Club career

Toronto FC

Nelson made his debut for Toronto FC III in League1 Ontario on September 2, 2017, in a game against Toronto Skillz FC in his only appearance of the season.[5] The following season, he made seven appearances,[6] scoring his first goal for Toronto FC III on June 17, 2018, against Windsor TFC.[7]

Nelson made his professional debut for Toronto FC II in USL League One on April 6, 2019, coming on as a substitute against Orlando City B.[8]

On January 23, 2020, Nelson signed a Homegrown Player contract with first-team Toronto FC.[9][10] He made his MLS debut for Toronto during the MLS is Back tournament, starting their round of 16 match against New York City FC.[11] He was loaned to the second team for some matches in 2021.[12][13] He scored his first professional goal for Toronto FC II on June 16, 2021, against Fort Lauderdale CF.[14]

In December 2021, after the conclusion of the 2021 MLS season, Nelson joined Belgian club Anderlecht for a training stint.[15] He scored his first MLS goal on April 9, 2022, against Real Salt Lake.[16][17][18]

Rosenborg

In February 2023, Toronto announced they had transferred Nelson to Eliteserien side Rosenborg.[19][20] He made his official debut on April 16 against Molde.[21] Nelson scored his first goal for his new club on June 4 against HamKam, netting the third goal in an eventual 4-0 victory.[22]

International career

Youth

Nelson attended his first Canadian youth camp in 2016.[23] Nelson made his debut for the Canada national under-15 team in the 2017 CONCACAF Boys' Under-15 Championship on August 13, 2017, against the United States.[2]

Nelson made his debut for the Canada national under-17 team in the 2019 CONCACAF Under-17 Championship on May 2, 2019, against the United States.[2] Against Guatemala in the second game of the group stage, Nelson scored a hat-trick in a 4–2 win.[24] Nelson scored twice more in the tournament – against Curaçao and Costa Rica respectively – as Canada qualified for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup for the first time since 2013.[25] At the end of 2019, Nelson was named the Canadian Men's Youth International Player of the Year.[26][27]

Nelson was named to the Canadian U-23 provisional roster for the 2020 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship on February 26, 2020.[28]

Senior

In January 2020, Nelson was called up to the Canadian senior team ahead of friendlies against Barbados and Iceland.[29] He made his debut on January 7 against Barbados, coming on as a substitute in a 4–1 victory[30] and scored his first goal three days later, also against Barbados.[31][32]

In June 2023 Nelson was named to Canada's preliminary roster for the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[33] Initially left off the roster, on June 26 he was called into the final squad along with Liam Fraser as replacements for Sam Adekugbe and Stephen Eustáquio.[34]

Personal life

Jayden was born in Canada and is of Jamaican descent.[35] In 2022, Nelson made a donation to his former elementary school to restart a snack program which had been discontinued.[36]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 24 October 2023[37]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Playoffs National Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Toronto FC III 2017[5] League1 Ontario 10————10
2018[6] 71———2091
Total 81———20101
Toronto FC II 2019 USL League One 140————140
Toronto FC 2020 Major League Soccer 700000—1[lower-alpha 1]080
2021 70—0000—70
2022 311—4[lower-alpha 2]0——351
Total 45100400010501
Toronto FC II 2021 USL League One 83————83
Rosenborg 2023 Eliteserien 192—3032—254
Career total 947007032301079
  1. Appearance in the MLS is Back Tournament knockout stage.
  2. Includes appearance in the 2020 Canadian Championship final (played in 2022).

International
As of match played July 4, 2023
Canada
Year Apps Goals
202031
202100
202210
202311
Total52

International goals

Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first.

No.DateVenueCapOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.January 10, 2020Championship Soccer Stadium, Irvine, United States2 Barbados4–14–1Friendly
2.July 4, 2023Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, United States5 Cuba3–14–22023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
Correct as of July 5, 2023

Honours

Toronto FC

Individual

References
  1. "Nelson says new-look TFC has more of a family feel". Sportsnet. March 2, 2022.
  2. Jayden Nelson at the Canadian Soccer Association
  3. Galindo, Peter (May 13, 2016). "Tactical breakdown: Jayden Nelson still a work in progress for Toronto FC". TFC Republic.
  4. "Jayden Nelson profile". ATG Sports Management.
  5. "Jayden Nelson 2017 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  6. "Jayden Nelson 2018 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  7. Cheng, Jonathan (June 18, 2018). "TFC III Maintain First Spot By Hammering Windsor TFC 10-0". League1 Ontario.
  8. "Toronto FC signs Academy Product Jayden Nelson to first team". Toronto FC. January 23, 2020.
  9. Bogert, Tom (January 23, 2020). "Toronto FC sign Canada national team midfielder Jayden Nelson to Homegrown deal". Major League Soccer.
  10. Davidson, Neil (January 23, 2020). "Toronto FC signs another talented teenager as 17-year-old Jayden Nelson joins first team". Toronto Star.
  11. "Ayo Akinola misses Toronto FC's Round of 16 match as 17-year-old Jayden Nelson starts". Major League Soccer. July 26, 2020.
  12. "Toronto FC loan three players to Toronto FC II". Toronto FC. June 9, 2021.
  13. Singh, Michael (June 9, 2021). "Ralph Priso, Jayden Nelson, Kevin Silva loaned to Toronto FC II". Waking the Red.
  14. Steiner, Ben. "TFC II battle to a compelling draw with Fort Lauderdale". Waking the Red.
  15. "Vidéo: Anderlecht a testé deux joueurs contre les espoirs du RWDM" [Video: Anderlecht tested two players against RWDM hopefuls]. Anderlecht Online (in French). December 9, 2021.
  16. "Nelson's highlight-reel goal lifts TFC into draw with RSL". TSN. April 9, 2022.
  17. Butler, Dylan (April 10, 2022). "Could Jayden Nelson's first Toronto FC goal spark CanMNT World Cup roster consideration?". Major League Soccer.
  18. Becherano, Lizzy (April 11, 2022). "Jayden Nelson earns Bob Bradley praise and sparks CanMNT conversation". 90 min.
  19. "Toronto FC transfer Jayden Nelson to Rosenborg BK". Toronto FC. February 8, 2023.
  20. Veth, Manuel (February 8, 2023). "Jayden Nelson joins Rosenborg BK - Among 10 most valuable CanMNT players". Transfermarkt.
  21. Galindo, Peter (April 24, 2023). "Canadians Abroad Roundup: How Alphonso Davies' injury impacts Canada's summer plans". Canadian Soccer Daily.
  22. "DEILIG OPPTUR MOT HAMKAM". Rosenborg. June 4, 2023.
  23. Davidson, Neil (January 15, 2020). "Toronto FC teenage forward Jayden Nelson continues to turn heads with Canada". CBC Sports.
  24. Baer, Benjamin (May 4, 2019). "Toronto FC's Jayden Nelson leads Canada U-17s over Guatemala". Major League Soccer.
  25. "Canada books spot at FIFA U-17 World Cup with dramatic shootout win over Costa Rica". The Globe and Mail. May 12, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  26. Butler, Dylan (December 10, 2019). "Toronto FC prospect Jayden Nelson named Canadian Youth International Player of the Year". Major League Soccer.
  27. Rhodes, Benedict (December 11, 2019). "TFC II's Jayden Nelson named 2019 Canadian Youth International Player of the Year". Waking the Red.
  28. "Canada Soccer announces Provisional List for Concacaf Men's Olympic Qualifying". Canada Soccer. February 26, 2020. Archived from the original on March 9, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  29. Jacques, John (January 3, 2020). "Tristan Borges Called Up To Canada National Team Ahead Of Three Friendlies". Northern Tribune.
  30. "HIGHLIGHTS: CanMNT begins 2020 with a win in friendly vs. Barbados". Canadian Premier League. January 7, 2019.
  31. "Canadian men's soccer comfortably dispatches Barbados in friendly rematch". CBC Sports. January 10, 2020.
  32. Buffery, Steve (April 10, 2022). "TFC's Nelson making a push to be considered for Canada's World Cup-bound team". Toronto Sun.
  33. "National team roster – 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup" (PDF). June 1, 2023.
  34. "Eustaquio, Adekugbe replaced by Nelson, Fraser for Canada at Gold Cup". June 26, 2023.
  35. "World Cup 2026: Meet the future North American stars dreaming of success". BBC Sport. December 5, 2019.
  36. Davidson, Neil (April 26, 2022). "Toronto FC teenager Jayden Nelson gives back to his Brampton elementary school". Toronto Star.
  37. Jayden Nelson at Soccerway
  38. "At last, Toronto FC capture 2020 Canadian Championship over Forge FC". Major League Soccer. June 4, 2022. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
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