Nathan Messer

Last updated
Nathan Messer
Personal information
Full name Nathan Messer
Position Defender
Team information
Current team
Portland Hearts of Pine
Number 3
College career
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2019–2022 College of William & Mary 58 (8)
2023 Providence College 17 (4)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2020 TSV Meerbusch 9 (0)
2021 Northern Virginia FC 10 (1)
2022 ND Primorje 1 (0)
2022–2023 Vermont Green FC 13 (0)
2024 Rhode Island FC 3 (0)
2025– Portland Hearts of Pine 32 (6)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Nathan Messer (born 6 July 2001) is an English professional footballer who currently plays as a defender for Portland Hearts of Pine in the USL League One.

Contents

Early life

Nathan Messer was born 6 July 2001 in London to a French mother and a German father. [1] [2] The family eventually settled in Bethesda, Maryland. [2]

Career

College career

Messer spent four years playing for the College of William & Mary Tribe, making 58 appearances, [3] before transferring to Providence College Friars for an additional year, making 17 appearances for the Friars. [4]

Professional career

While in college, Messer played for TSV Meerbusch in Germany's Oberliga Niederrhein in 2020, and ND Primorje in Slovenia's Second League in 2022. [5] In 2021, Messer played for Northern Virginia FC of USL League Two to begin his pre-professional career in the United States. [5] In 2022, he moved to fellow USL League Two side Vermont Green FC, where he played from 2022 to 2023. [6] He jointly holds the records for most career assists for the Green. [7]

He then moved to the USL Championship team Rhode Island FC to start his professional career, [8] where he was a part of the 2024 Eastern Conference winning team, but played just four times. [9] [10]

He signed to the USL League One team Portland Hearts of Pine in 2025. Initially a winger, he converted to left-back for the Hearts of Pine. [5] He scored and assisted in his debut with the Hearts, a 4–0 win over CD Faialense in the U.S. Open Cup. [10]

Messer was one of three Hearts of Pine players to appear in 39 of the club's 40 matches in 2025, and was named to the USL League One team of the week on six different occasions during the season. [11] Following the conclusion of the 2025 USL League One season, Messer was voted into the All-League First Team. [12] He returned to the Hearts of Pine for the 2026 season. [13]

Honours

Vermont Green FC

Portland Hearts of Pine

References

  1. "Nathan Messer". Hearts of Pine. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  2. 1 2 "Nathan Messer". Vermont Green Football Club. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  3. "Nathan Messer - 2022 - Men's Soccer". William & Mary Athletics. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  4. "Nathan Messer - Men's Soccer". Providence College Athletics. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  5. 1 2 3 Macomber, Seth (2025-05-30). "Nathan Messer's Story "Should Be A Lesson For A Lot Of Kids"". The Blazing Musket. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  6. "Vermont Green FC, 2022 Roster" . Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 "Record Book". Vermont Green Football Club. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  8. Belmore, Ryan (2024-03-13). "Rhode Island FC signs former Providence College defender Nathan Messer". What's Up Newp. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  9. "Nathan Messer Stats, Goals, Records, Assists, Cups and more". FBref.com. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  10. 1 2 "Meet the Hearts of Pine players". Centralmaine.com. 2025-03-27. Retrieved 2026-01-21.
  11. "Hearts of Pine News, September 16, 2025" . Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  12. 1 2 Craig, Steve (2025-11-07). "Three Hearts of Pine players named all-USL League One". The Portland Press Herald. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  13. Craig, Steve (2026-01-16). "Hearts of Pine add two defenders for 2026". The Portland Press Herald. Retrieved 2026-01-17.