Quick Facts
LibraBiography
Jayden Nelson (born September 26, 2002) is a Canadian soccer player who plays as a forward for Toronto FC.
Club career
Youth
Nelson began playing for Toronto FC Academy in the USSDA in 2016, playing for the U14 team. He has since played for the U16/17 and U18/19 teams as well.
Toronto FC III
Nelson made his debut for Toronto FC III in League1 Ontario on May 20, 2018 in a game against Toronto Skillz FC. He scored his first goal for Toronto FC III on June 17, 2018 against Windsor TFC.
Toronto FC II
Nelson made his professional debut for Toronto FC II in USL League One on April 6, 2019, coming on as an 82nd minute substitute for Jacob Shaffelburg against Orlando City B.
Toronto FC
On January 23, 2020, Nelson signed a Homegrown Player contract with first-team Toronto FC.
International career
Youth
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. Nelson played in all four games of the tournament as Canada reached the semi-finals.
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. Against Guatemala in the second game of the group stage, Nelson scored a hat-trick in a 4–2 win. 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. At the end of 2019, Nelson was named the Canadian Men's Youth International Player of the Year.
Senior
In January 2020, Nelson was called up to the Canadian senior team ahead of friendlies against Barbados and Iceland. He made his debut on January 7 against Barbados, coming on as a substitute in a 4–1 victory and scored his first goal three days later, also against Barbados.
Career statistics
Club
- As of January 16, 2020
| Club | League | Season | League | Playoffs | Domestic Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Toronto FC III | League1 Ontario | 2018 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| Toronto FC II | USL League One | 2019 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Career Total | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 1 | ||
International
- As of January 16, 2020
| Canada national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3 | 1 |
| Total | 3 | 1 |
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | January 10, 2020 | Championship Soccer Stadium, Irvine, United States | 2 |  Barbados | 4–1 | 4–1 | Friendly | ||||
Personal life
Jayden was born in Canada, and is of Jamaican descent.
Honours
Individual
- Canadian Men's Youth International Player of the Year: 2019