Nico Zaldana

Nico Zaldana (born May 7, 1996) is an American soccer player who most recently played for Jacksonville Armada FC in the North American Soccer League. Zaldana usually plays as a winger or a central midfielder.

Youth and amateur

Zaldana hopped around various youth academies growing up, playing for academy teams in The Netherlands, Spain and the United States. At the age of nine in 2005, Zaldana joined the prestigious Ajax Youth Academy for a year before joining Vakenoord in 2006. In 2007, in the Dutch Football Youth Tournament, Zaldana was named played of the tournament. Zaldana left Feyenoord to join RCD Espanyol's academy in Spain. After a tour of Spanish clubs, Zaldana returned to the United States and played with various MLS academy teams.

Professional

Zaldana signed his first professional contract with second-tier NASL side, Jacksonville Armada FC on January 14, 2015. Zaldana made his professional debut on May 27, 2015 in a 3–0 loss to Richmond Kickers in the 2015 U.S. Open Cup. Zaldana missed the rest of the 2015 North American Soccer League season after sustaining a leg injury in training. He was released by Jacksonville on March 10, 2016.