Ben Nelson (footballer, born 2004)

Last updated

Ben Nelson
Ben Nelson 23082025 (7) (cropped).jpg
Ben Nelson in 2025.
Personal information
Birth name Benjamin Harvey Nelson [1]
Date of birth (2004-03-18) 18 March 2004 (age 21)
Place of birth Northampton, England
Height 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Leicester City
Number 4
Youth career
–2020 Leicester City
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2020– Leicester City 5 (1)
2022–2023 → Rochdale (loan) 10 (0)
2023 → Doncaster Rovers (loan) 15 (0)
2024–2025 → Oxford United (loan) 17 (1)
International career‡
2020 Scotland U16 1 (0)
2021–2022 England U18 6 (0)
2022–2023 England U19 5 (0)
2024–2025 England U20 6 (1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 11:49, 27 April 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 18:54, 23 March 2025 (UTC)

Benjamin Harvey Nelson (born 18 March 2004) [2] is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or left-back for EFL Championship club Leicester City.

Contents

Club career

Nelson joined Leicester City's youth team at the age of 9. [3] In the 2020–21 season, Nelson featured in a first-team squad during Leicester City's UEFA Europa League campaign. [4] He was named Academy Player of the Season at the end of the season. [2]

On 28 July 2022, Nelson joined EFL League Two side Rochdale on a season-long loan. [5] [6] He was recalled from his loan on 6 January 2023. [7] Later that month he joined Doncaster Rovers on loan for the remainder of the season. [8]

In the 2023–24 season, Nelson was promoted to the first team. [9] On 29 August 2023, he made his senior debut for Leicester as an 82nd-minute substitute for James Justin in a 2–0 away win over Tranmere Rovers in the Second Round of the EFL Cup. On 8 December 2023, he signed a new contract until 2027. [3] On 9 December 2023, he made his league debut in the EFL Championship for Leicester as an 81st-minute substitute for Jannik Vestergaard in a 4–0 win against Plymouth Argyle. [10] On 2 March 2024, he scored his first goal for the club in a 2–1 league defeat against Queens Park Rangers. [11]

On 30 August 2024, Nelson signed for Championship side Oxford United on a season-long loan. [12] On 5 November 2024, he tore tendons in his quadriceps muscle during United's 1-0 win against Hull City. [13]

International career

Nelson is eligible to play for either England or Scotland. After making one appearance for Scotland's under-16 team, [14] he made his England U18 debut starting in a 3–2 defeat against the Netherlands on 11 November 2021. [15]

On 21 September 2022, Nelson made his England U19 debut during a 2–0 2023 U19 EURO qualifying win over Montenegro. [16]

On 22 March 2024, Nelson made a goalscoring debut for the England Elite League squad during a 5-1 win over Poland at the Bialystok City Stadium. [17]

On 29 August 2025, Nelson was called up to the under-21s [18] .

Career statistics

As of match played 26 April 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeague FA Cup EFL Cup OtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Leicester City U21 2020–21 [19] ———2 [a] 020
2021–22 [20] ———1 [a] 010
Total0000003030
Leicester City 2023–24 [21] Championship 512010—81
Rochdale (loan) 2022–23 [22] League Two 10000101 [a] 0120
Doncaster Rovers (loan) 2022–23 [22] League Two150000000150
Oxford United (loan) 2024–25 [23] Championship1710000—171
Career total472202040552
  1. 1 2 3 Appearances in EFL Trophy

Honours

Leicester City

References

  1. ↑ "2021/22 Premier League squads confirmed". Premier League . 10 September 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Ben Nelson". Leicester City F.C. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Ben Nelson Signs New LCFC Contract". Leicester City FC. 8 December 2023.
  4. ↑ Chowdhury, Saj (3 December 2020). "Zorya Luhansk 1-0 Leicester City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  5. ↑ "Young Defender Ben Nelson Joins Rochdale On Loan". Leicester City FC. 28 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  6. ↑ "Ben Nelson: Rochdale sign teenage Leicester City defender on loan". BBC Sport. 28 July 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  7. ↑ "Nelson & Tulloch Return To Parent Clubs". Rochdale AFC. 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  8. ↑ "Doncaster sign Leicester's Ben Nelson and Blackburn's James Brown on loan". BBC Sport. 17 January 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  9. ↑ "Leicester City squad numbers revealed as Stephy Mavididi gets 10 amid two gaps for new signings". Leicester Mercury. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "Leicester City 4-0 Plymouth Argyle - Patson Daka scored on return to Foxes side". BBC Sport. 9 December 2023.
  11. ↑ "Leicester City 1-2 Queens Park Rangers". BBC Sport. 2 March 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  12. ↑ "Ben Nelson Signs On Deadline Day For Oxford United | Oxford United Football Club". www.oufc.co.uk. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  13. ↑ "Leicester City loanee faces up to four months out with injury". Oxford Mail. 22 November 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  14. ↑ "Ben Nelson". Scottish FA. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  15. ↑ Smith, Frank (11 November 2021). "England MU18s 2-3 Netherlands". England Football. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  16. ↑ Smith, Frank (21 September 2022). "Report: England MU19s 2-0 Montenegro". England Football. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  17. ↑ "Report: Poland 1-5 England Elite League Squad". England Football. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  18. ↑ Englandfootball.com
  19. ↑ "Games played by Ben Nelson in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  20. ↑ "Games played by Ben Nelson in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  21. ↑ "Games played by Ben Nelson in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  22. 1 2 "Games played by Ben Nelson in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  23. ↑ "Games played by Ben Nelson in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  24. ↑ "Championship: 2023/24: Current table". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
    "Leicester: Squad details: 2023/24". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
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