Nico Gordon

Nico Diago Gordon (born 28 April 2002) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender or midfielder for National League club Solihull Moors, on loan from EFL Championship club Birmingham City. He was born in England, and plays for the Montserrat national team.

Nico Gordon
Personal information
Full name Nico Diago Gordon[1]
Date of birth (2002-04-28) 28 April 2002[2]
Place of birth Birmingham, England
Position(s) Defender, midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Solihull Moors (on loan from Birmingham City)
Number 5
Youth career
2014–2020 Birmingham City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020– Birmingham City 15 (1)
2023– → Solihull Moors (loan) 1 (0)
International career‡
2023– Montserrat 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:53, 18 October 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17:53, 18 October 2023 (UTC)

Life and career

Gordon was born in Birmingham and attended St Thomas Aquinas Catholic School in the Kings Norton district.[2] He joined Birmingham City in 2014,[2] and took up a two-year scholarship with their Academy in July 2018. According to coach Steve Spooner, Gordon "can play anywhere across the back and midfield. He's currently at centre-half. He's an excellent reader of the game. He steps in and can find passes. He played for the 18s last year and has started this season very well."[3]

He made his competitive debut for Birmingham's development squad team in August 2019, playing at right back in a 1–1 draw with Crystal Palace U23,[4] and became a regular in the side.[5] He also captained the under-18 team as they reached the fifth round of the 2019–20 FA Youth Cup.[6] Gordon was given a first-team squad number early in 2020,[5] he was 19th man for the FA Cup replay against Coventry City, and in April 2020, the club confirmed that he had been made an offer of a three-year professional contract, with the option of a fourth year.[7] He signed the contract on 26 June.[8]

When the 2019–20 EFL Championship season resumed after its COVID-19 pandemic-related suspension, Gordon was one of several youngsters named on the bench for Birmingham's first match under the temporary rules. He remained unused, but made his Football League debut in the next fixture, on 27 June 2020 at home to Hull City, replacing the injured Jake Clarke-Salter after 87 minutes wth his team 3–2 down; the match finished 3–3.[9] Gordon was given his first start on 12 July away to Stoke City, playing on the left of three centre backs and facing the powerful Tyrese Campbell. With Stoke 2–0 up at half-time, caretaker head coach Spooner changed to a back four, and Gordon was more comfortable at left back; the score remained 2–0.[10] He played once more that season,[11] and a further twice at the end of the following season, when, with relegation avoided, new manager Lee Bowyer used the last two fixtures to look at fringe players. Both were heavy defeats, though the Birmingham Mail's reporter thought he "did OK against one of the better attacking forces in the league" in the 5–2 defeat to Blackburn Rovers.[12][13]

Gordon was Birmingham's man of the match in the EFL Cup win against Colchester United in August 2021. Partnering George Friend in central defence, he "show[ed] great composure and strength, while he was sound in possession and with his passing",[14] but was injured late in the game and did not re-appear even for the under-23 team until the following February.[15] He started the Championship match away to Bristol City on 5 March, alongside Marc Roberts at centre back, scored his first senior goal with an accurate header from Jordan Graham's corner to put his side 2–0 ahead, and played the full 90 minutes as Birmingham held on for a 2–1 win.[16] He kept his place for the next match despite loanee Teden Mengi's return to fitness, "more than held his own, often sweeping behind Roberts when danger demanded it" as the team kept a clean sheet against Hull City, and the Mail's reporter suggested that if he continued in similar vein, "he could well save Blues a recruitment job in the summer."[17]

After a 2022–23 season disrupted by illness, Gordon joined National League club Solihull Moors on loan for the 2023–24 campaign.[18] In the 90th minute of the opening fixture, with his side 1–0 down at home to Eastleigh, Gordon was sent off for a second yellow card after pulling back an opponent; Moors equalised in stoppage time.[19]

International career

Gordon was born in England of Montserratian descent. He was called up to the Montserrat senior squad for the first time in September 2023, for their matches in the 2023–24 CONCACAF Nations League B against Barbados and the Dominican Republic.[20][21] He started and played the whole of the first fixture, in which Montserrat beat Barbados 3–2 with a 98th-minute free kick from his former Birmingham team-mate Lyle Taylor.[22][23]

Career statistics
As of match played 14 October 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup EFL Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Birmingham City 2019–20[11] Championship200000—20
2020–21[12] Championship200000—20
2021–22[24] Championship1110010—121
2022–23[25] Championship000000—00
Total 1510010—161
Solihull Moors 2023–24[26] National League1000—0010
Career total 121001000171

    References
    1. "Club list of registered players as at 18th May 2019" (PDF). English Football League. May 2019. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
    2. "Nico Gordon". Birmingham City F.C. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
    3. "Meet Blues' new scholars for 2018–19". Birmingham City F.C. 16 August 2018. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
    4. "Report: Crystal Palace Under-23s 1 Blues Under-23s 1". Birmingham City F.C. 12 August 2019. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
    5. Dick, Brian (19 February 2020). "Revealed: The latest rising stars who have been given Birmingham City squad numbers". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
    6. "FA Youth Cup Report: Wigan Athletic 4 Birmingham City 0". Wigan Athletic F.C. 5 February 2020. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
    7. "Blues offer first professional deals to five". Birmingham City F.C. 29 April 2020. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
    8. "Double celebration for Nico". Birmingham City F.C. 29 June 2020. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
    9. "Birmingham City 3–3 Hull City". BBC Sport. 27 June 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
    10. Dick, Brian (12 July 2020). "'Abject' – Birmingham City in freefall after Stoke City defeat, report and ratings". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
    11. "Games played by Nico Gordon in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
    12. "Games played by Nico Gordon in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
    13. Dick, Brian (8 May 2021). "Birmingham City player ratings vs Blackburn: Blues struggle in Bowyer's absence". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
    14. Chapman, Joseph (10 August 2021). "Birmingham City player ratings as Nico Gordon shines in EFL Cup win". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
    15. "Report: Blues Under-23s 3–0 Watford Under-23s". Birmingham City F.C. 18 February 2022. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
    16. Dick, Brian (5 March 2021). "Birmingham City player ratings vs Bristol City: Chong back with a bang as Blues win". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
    17. Dick, Brian (13 March 2022). "Birmingham City prospect could save Blues a summer transfer as Taylor Richards debut assessed". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
    18. Dicken, Alex (21 July 2023). "Birmingham City make Nico Gordon decision after disrupted 12 months under John Eustace". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
    19. "Football – Morrison scores injury time equaliser as 10-man Solihull Moors rescue point in season opener". Solihull Observer. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
    20. Dicken, Alex (7 September 2023). "Donovan and the other Birmingham City prospects who could save Wagner millions". BirminghamLive. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
    21. Solihull Moors F.C. [@SolihullMoors] (4 September 2023). "Best of luck to Nico Gordon, who has been called up to @Montserrat_FA for their upcoming fixtures against Barbados and The Dominican Republic" (Tweet). Retrieved 9 September 2023 – via Twitter.
    22. "Liga B – Group stage: Group B – week 1: Barbados 2–3 Montserrat". CONCACAF. 8 September 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
    23. Coppin, Jonteau (9 September 2023). "Barbados Tridents go down 2–3 against Montserrat". NationNews. Barbados. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
    24. "Games played by Nico Gordon in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
    25. "Games played by Nico Gordon in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
    26. "N. Gordon". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
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