.jpg) Goldson playing forRangers in 2018 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Connor Lambert Goldson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1992-12-18)18 December 1992 (age 32)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Wolverhampton, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[3] | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Aris Limassol | ||
| Number | 18 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Shrewsbury Town | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2015 | Shrewsbury Town | 106 | (8) |
| 2013–2014 | →Cheltenham Town (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2015–2018 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 32 | (2) |
| 2018–2024 | Rangers | 192 | (15) |
| 2024– | Aris Limassol | 17 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:34, 12 December 2024 (UTC) | |||
Connor Lambert Goldson (born 18 December 1992) is an English professionalfootballer who plays forAris Limassol. His preferred position is atcentre-back, although he has also been utilised atright-back,[4] and as acentral midfielder.[5][6]
He began his career atShrewsbury Town, whom he represented in 120 competitive matches, scoring eight goals, seven coming in one season, and also spending time on loan atCheltenham Town. In 2015, after a promotion-winning season for Shrewsbury, he signed forBrighton & Hove Albion. His career was interrupted in 2017, when a screening found that Goldson had a defect in his heart. He joined Rangers in 2018 underSteven Gerrard.
Born inWolverhampton, West Midlands,[7][8] Goldson attendedThomas Telford School[9] and was awarded his first professional contract midway through his youth scholarship withShrewsbury Town in May 2010.[10] He made his debut during a 5–1 away win atLincoln City on 8 February 2011, coming on as a 69th-minute substitute forJermaine Grandison.[11] WithcaptainIan Sharps suspended,[9] he made his full debut on 1 March, in a 3–0 home defeat toBury,[12] and featured sporadically the following season as Shrewsbury won promotion toLeague One.[citation needed]
He enjoyed an extended run at the end of the 2012–13 season, featuring in nine consecutive matches and scoring his first senior goal on the last day of the season againstPortsmouth for a 3–2 home win.[13] Having helped Shrewsbury secure safety in their first season in League One, Goldson signed a contract extension on 21 June 2013.[14]
On 28 November 2013, Goldson joinedCheltenham Town on loan initially until 4 January 2014.[15][16] He made his Cheltenham debut as an added-time substitute forDavid Noble in a 1–0 away win againstMorecambe on 7 December.[17] Although his loan was later being extended by a further month,[18] Goldson was recalled by his parent club on 9 January 2014 due to an injury to fellow defenderDarren Jones.[19] Following his recall, Goldson was ever-present under caretaker managerMichael Jackson, although he was unable to stop Shrewsbury suffering relegation back toLeague Two. Despite receiving offers fromPremier League clubs, Goldson signed a new two-year contract extension on 4 July 2014, having been convinced to stay by new managerMicky Mellon.[20]
He captained Shrewsbury Town for a whole match for the first time on 12 August 2014, in aLeague Cup first round victory overChampionship clubBlackpool, in the absence of regular skipperLiam Lawrence from the starting eleven.[21] Goldson made his 100thFootball League appearance for Shrewsbury in a home match againstDagenham & Redbridge on 3 April 2015, scoring both goals in a 2–0 win.[22]
After securing promotion back to League One with a 1–0 victory over former loan club Cheltenham Town on 25 April, it was announced the following day that Goldson had been awarded a place on thePFA League Two Team of the Year for 2014–15, along with teammateRyan Woods.[23] At the conclusion of the season, he also won both the supporters'Player of the season and thePlayers' player of the season at the club's annual awards night for2014–15.[24]
Goldson made his last appearance for Shrewsbury in a 1–1 away match atBradford City on 15 August 2015,[25] before declaring himself unfit prior to the following home match againstChesterfield three days later.[26]
Goldson joinedBrighton & Hove Albion for an undisclosed fee, signing a four-year deal on 19 August 2015.[27] He was first included in a Seagulls squad a month later, as an unused substitute in a goalless Championship draw at his hometown clubWolverhampton Wanderers, a result which kept his team at the top of the table.[28]
After Brighton's 2–2 draw atDerby County on 12 December, Goldson alleged racial abuse by a home fan atPride Park, which was investigated by the police.[29] A week later, he made his Seagulls debut, replacing the injuredUwe Hünemeier for the final half-hour of a 3–0 home loss toMiddlesbrough.[30] His first start came on 29 December, in place of the injuredGordon Greer for a 1–0 loss toIpswich Town at theFalmer Stadium.[31][32] Three days later, when Brighton hosted Wolverhampton, Goldson scored anown goal fromJordan Graham's cross in the 32nd minute, the only goal of the game.[33]
On 4 April 2016, Goldson scored his first goal for Brighton, equalising as they came from behind to win 2–1 atBirmingham City.[34] The Seagulls came third and qualified for the play-offs; Goldson was one of four of their players who went off injured in their 2–0 loss atSheffield Wednesday in the semi-final first leg.[35]
In February 2017, Goldson was discovered to have a heart defect in a screening, and was sidelined for the remainder of the season to have preventative surgery.[36] He played his first competitive game following his return from successful surgery in December 2017, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 home win againstWatford on his Premier League debut.[37] Goldson was on the fringes of Brighton's team in 2017–18, totalling only eight appearances, but scored in their 3–1 home win overCoventry City in the FA Cup fifth round on 17 February 2018.[38]
On 13 June 2018, Goldson signed forScottish Premiership clubRangers on a four-year deal, becomingSteven Gerrard's sixth summer signing.[39] He made his competitive debut for Rangers on 12 July in a 2–02018–19 UEFA Europa League qualifier home win againstMacedonian First Football League teamFK Shkupi in what was Gerrard's first competitive fixture as manager.[40] Goldson captained Rangers on 12 August in their 2–0 win overSt. Mirren atIbrox, as regular skipperJames Tavernier was on the substitutes' bench. He headed his first goal for the club as they won with ten men, and he was praised by Gerrard after the match.[41] On 17 October 2020, he scored a double in a 2–0 away win againstCeltic in theOld Firm derby.[42]
In2020–21 Goldson featured in every competitive match Rangers played, making 56 appearances as Rangers won their maiden championship under the Premiership branding, theirfirst top division title in a decade and their 55th overall, denying rivals Celtic what would have been a record-breaking10th consecutive championship.[43]
Goldson played the entire game in the2022 UEFA Europa League final which Rangers lost on penalties toEintracht Frankfurt;[44] they won theScottish Cup three days later, Goldson again completing 120 minutes of action.[45] He signed a four-year contract extension on 1 June 2022.[46]
On 30 July 2024, Goldson left Rangers to joinCypriot sideAris Limassol for an undisclosed fee.[47]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Shrewsbury Town | 2010–11[48] | League Two | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2011–12[49] | League Two | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13[50] | League One | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 | ||
| 2013–14[51] | League One | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 1[c] | 0 | 39 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15[52] | League Two | 44 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 51 | 7 | ||
| 2015–16[53] | League One | 2 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | – | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 106 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | 120 | 8 | |||
| Cheltenham Town (loan) | 2013–14[51] | League Two | 4 | 0 | — | — | – | — | 4 | 0 | ||||
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2015–16[53] | Championship | 24 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | – | 1[d] | 0 | 26 | 2 | ||
| 2016–17[54] | Championship | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | — | 8 | 0 | |||
| 2017–18[55] | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | — | 8 | 1 | |||
| Total | 32 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | 42 | 3 | |||
| Rangers | 2018–19[56] | Scottish Premiership | 34 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 14[e] | 1 | – | 54 | 4 | |
| 2019–20[57] | Scottish Premiership | 29 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 18[e] | 1 | – | 52 | 4 | ||
| 2020–21[58] | Scottish Premiership | 38 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 13[e] | 3 | – | 56 | 8 | ||
| 2021–22[59] | Scottish Premiership | 36 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 18[f] | 0 | – | 61 | 4 | ||
| 2022–23[60] | Scottish Premiership | 25 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8[g] | 0 | – | 38 | 3 | ||
| 2023–24[61] | Scottish Premiership | 30 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 11[h] | 0 | – | 49 | 0 | ||
| Total | 192 | 15 | 19 | 2 | 16 | 1 | 82 | 5 | – | 310 | 23 | |||
| Aris Limassol | 2024–25 | Cypriot First Division | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 12 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 336 | 25 | 30 | 3 | 26 | 1 | 82 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 488 | 34 | ||
Shrewsbury Town
Brighton & Hove Albion
Rangers
Individual
