 Nelson in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Reiss Luke Nelson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1999-12-10)10 December 1999 (age 25)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Elephant and Castle, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Winger[1] | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Fulham (on loan fromArsenal) | ||
| Number | 19 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2008–2017 | Arsenal | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017– | Arsenal | 50 | (4) |
| 2018–2019 | →TSG Hoffenheim (loan) | 23 | (7) |
| 2021–2022 | →Feyenoord (loan) | 21 | (2) |
| 2024– | →Fulham (loan) | 11 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 2014–2015 | England U16 | 3 | (1) |
| 2015–2016 | England U17 | 11 | (11) |
| 2016–2017 | England U18 | 3 | (1) |
| 2017–2018 | England U19 | 9 | (3) |
| 2018 | England U20 | 1 | (0) |
| 2018–2020 | England U21 | 12 | (6) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:50, 26 December 2024 (UTC) | |||
Reiss Luke Nelson (born 10 December 1999) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as awinger forPremier League clubFulham on loan fromPremier League sideArsenal.
Born in London, Nelson joined Arsenal's academy when he was nine years old and gradually made his way to the first-team, regularly playing above his age group. He made his Arsenal debut in the2017 FA Community Shield before leaving the club on loan in search of first-team football. After gaining experience at German sideTSG Hoffenheim during the 2018–19 season, he returned to Arsenal where new managerMikel Arteta used Nelson sparingly due to injury. He then moved to the Netherlands on loan atFeyenoord where he made a positive impact on their season and received more first-team action. Nelson has since joined Fulham on loan for the duration of the2024–25 season.
Nelson has represented England with every youth international team since debuting for theunder-16's in November 2014. He has played in several youth UEFA European Championships, and he was selected in the2016 under-17 edition's Team of the Tournament for his performances in England's quarter-final finish.
Nelson was born inElephant and Castle, London.[1] He is of Jamaican descent through his mother.[2] He grew up in theAylesbury Estate inWalworth and attended theLondon Nautical School, which trains young men fromInner London, often with maritime and sporting backgrounds. Nelson played football at the school in conjunction with his training at Arsenal and still acts as a mentor there.[3] He became friends with fellow aspiring footballerJadon Sancho, who lived nearby, after they played together in youth tournaments;[4] Nelson and Sancho were among many successful footballers from theBorough of Lambeth and South London at the time, includingTammy Abraham,Ademola Lookman andTashan Oakley-Boothe.[5] Nelson has described his younger self as a "cheeky chappie" and someone who was "very loud", which he said often led him into trouble.[6] Nelson accredits his mother for his success at youth level, for ensuring he got to training on time and working two jobs to sustain Nelson, his brother and his sister in their youth; he came from a poor family and driving to and from training was often a "big sacrifice".[6]
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Nelson joined theArsenal Academy in 2008, when he was eight years old.[6] Throughout his long youth career at Arsenal, he was regarded as one of the club's most promising young players; he often impressed the youth coaches at the club and regularly played above his age group.[7][8] Before making his senior debut in 2017, he was playing in the under-21 youth team, five years above his age group.[7] Nelson signed his first professional contract in December 2016, following his 17th birthday.[8]
Ahead ofArsenal's 2017–18 season, Nelson was named inArsène Wenger's pre-season touring squad travelling to both Australia and China.[9] On 13 July 2017, he made his unofficial debut for Arsenal againstSydney FC in afriendly; during the game Nelson played on the right-wing, dribbling balls towards the byline and setting up teammatesJoe Willock andDanny Welbeck regularly.[10] Whilst on tour, he also played againstWestern Sydney Wanderers at theStadium Australia,[11]Bayern Munich at theShanghai Stadium,[12] andChelsea atBird's Nest Stadium in Beijing.[13] Nelson made his first competitive appearance against Chelsea in the2017 FA Community Shield; he came on as a substitute for Welbeck as Arsenal won 4–1 on penalties after the match had ended in a draw.[14]
During the season, Nelson was limited to mostly cup and European appearances for the first-team, including fiveUEFA Europa League appearances, threeEFL Cup matches and one FA Cup loss againstNottingham Forest.[15] He made hisPremier League debut in a 4–1 win overCrystal Palace at theEmirates Stadium on 20 January 2018; he came on as a substitute in the 72nd minute.[16] With fellow wingerAlexis Sánchez having left Arsenal, it was speculated that Nelson could get an extended run in the first-team in his absence;[17] however, he only made two more Premier League appearances during the season.[15] Arsenal finished the league season in sixth and Wenger announced his departure from the club.[18]
Still playing youth football for the under-23 side, Nelson helped Arsenal win the Premier League 2, in theProfessional Development League; he also helped his side reach the final of thePremier League International Cup.[19] Nelson scored 10 goals in all youth competitions and was awarded PL2 Player of the Season.[19]
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On 31 August 2018, Nelson signed a long-term contract with Arsenal, and new Arsenal coachUnai Emery then sent him on a season-long loan at German clubTSG Hoffenheim.[20] During his Hoffenheim debut againstFortuna Düsseldorf on 18 September, he scored within 14 minutes of entering the match, although it was only a consolation in the 2–1 defeat.[21] Nelson scored sixBundesliga goals in his first seven appearances for Hoffenheim,[22] including a wide curling strike againstBayer Leverkusen in November.[23] Head coachJulian Nagelsmann dropped Nelson ahead of Hoffenheim's 2–1 win over1. FC Nürnberg in what was described as an "educational measure" for being late to training.[22] Following an injury in January, Nelson struggled to make an impact in the latter stages of Hoffenheim's season;[22] he finished the season with seven goals in 29 appearances for the German side.[24]
Nelson returned to Arsenal following his loan in Germany. He was brought into the first team along with fellow academy graduateEmile Smith Rowe as Emery looked to focus on youth talent in his second season;[25] he was also given the number 24 shirt.[26] Nelson made successive starts in Arsenal's opening two Premier League games againstNewcastle United andBurnley; against Burnley he looked to have scored a goal from a slick passing move and a confident finish, but it was ruled out foroffside in the buildup.[27] Nelson scored his first senior Arsenal goal on 24 September 2019,[28] when Arsenal defeated Nottingham Forest 5–0 at the Emirates Stadium in the EFL Cup third round; it was the fourth goal of the match and it was scored after he received a drilled pass fromCalum Chambers.[29] Nelson received a knee injury whilst on youth international duty in October,[30] and he did not return to the Arsenal first team until December.[28]
In November, Emery left Arsenal and was replaced by interim coachFreddie Ljungberg, the Swede was later replaced by former club captainMikel Arteta.[31] Nelson scored againstLeeds United in Arsenal's 1–0 win in the FA Cup third round in January 2020,[32] but was injured later in the month;[33] he returned from injury against Portsmouth in March.[28] Following a short suspension due to theCOVID-19 pandemic,[34] Arsenal resumed Premier League football in June; Nelson later scored his first Premier League goal againstLiverpool at the Emirates Stadium in July.[35] He was an unused substitute when Arsenal won their14th FA Cup against Chelsea on 1 August.[36]
In Arsenal's2020 FA Community Shield match against Liverpool, Nelson came on as a substitute, taking and scoring the first penalty in ashootout win after the game ended 1–1.[37] He scored his first goal in European competition on 26 November against Norwegian sideMolde in the UEFA Europa League; all four of Nelson's goals for Arsenal at this point were scored in different competitions, those being the Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup and UEFA Europa League.[38] He only made nine appearances duringArsenal's 2020–21 campaign;[39] injuries hindered Nelson during the season, limiting him to just 69 minutes of Premier League football.[40]
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Nelson joinedEredivisie sideFeyenoord on loan in August 2021; his squad number was 14 during his stay in the Netherlands.[42] Feyenoordsporting directorFrank Arnesen said that the club followed Nelson for several months; Arnesen also described him as "a rapid boy, good with his feet, who makes things very difficult for defenders in one-on-ones."[42] Nelson was injured in training not long after joining the club, delaying his debut; his first appearance for the club came againstRKC Waalwijk in the Eredivisie, where he came on as a substitute for 30 minutes at the end of the 2–2 draw.[43] Nelson scored four goals for Feyenoord during his time at the club;[44] he also helped his side reach theinaugural UEFA Europa Conference League final, which they lost 1–0 toJosé Mourinho'sRoma inTirana, Albania.[45]
Upon returning to Arsenal for the2022–23 season, Nelson made his first appearance on 6 October 2022 againstBodø/Glimt in the UEFA Europa League;[46] his appearance in the reverse fixture in Norway a week later was his 50th for the Arsenal first team.[6] At the end of the month, he scored a brace (two goals) and assistedThomas Partey's goal in their 5–0 Premier League win over Nottingham Forest after coming on as a substitute forBukayo Saka.[47]
In Arsenal's Premier League match againstAFC Bournemouth on 4 March 2023 at the Emirates Stadium, Nelson came on as a substitute for Smith Rowe with Bournemouth leading Arsenal 2–1. He then set upBen White from the left wing to level the match at 2–2, almost immediately after entering the game.[48] In search of a match winner, Nelson scored a 25-yard strike after collecting a half-cleared corner in the seventh minute of added time. His goal was followed by jubilant celebrations in the stadium with most Arsenal players and staff rushing to embrace Nelson; the win extended Arsenal's pursuit of a first league title in 19 years.[49] Arsenal eventually lost the title toManchester City, but Nelson was voted Premier League Game Changer of the Season for his performance against Bournemouth,[50] and his winning goal was voted by club supporters as Arsenal Goal of the Season.[51] Charles Watts characterised the goal as "one of those moments in football that genuinely took the breath away – when despair turned into elation in a blink of an eye."[52]
Ahead of thenew season, Nelson signed a new four-year contract with Arsenal, Arteta commented on Nelson's ability and importance to Arsenal saying that "Reiss knows how important he is to our squad with the quality he has".[53] He made his first appearance of the season against Manchester United in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium on 3 September, and later scored his first goal of the season against Brentford in the EFL Cup on 27 September; it was the only goal of the match.[54] Arsenal finished second in the league again behind Manchester City.[55] Despite just signing a long-term contract, it was speculated that Nelson might leave Arsenal in the 2024 Summer transfer window, as he made only one Premier League start for the club during the entire season.[56] In June, it was reported that he was assessing transfer options to potentially leave the club.[57]
With wingerRaheem Sterling on the verge of joining Arsenal, Nelson joined Fulham on a season-long loan on deadline day.[58] He made his first appearance for the club againstWest Ham United on 14 September. Three days later, he scored his first goal for the club againstPreston North End in the third round of theEFL Cup, a tie Fulham lost 16–15 in a penalty shootout after drawing 1–1.[59] On 21 September, he scored his first Premier League goal for Fulham in a 3–1 overNewcastle United.[60]
Nelson was first picked to represent England in November 2014, when theunder-16 coachSteve Cooper selected Nelson to be a part of his 18-man squad to playScotland on 20 November.[61] He subsequently made his youth international debut starting the match which England won 2–1.[62] Nelson was included in Cooper's squad for the2016 UEFA European Under-17 Championship,[63] and he helped England reach the quarter-finals where they were knocked out bySpain;[64] Nelson was named in the Team of the Tournament for his performances with England.[65] During theunder-19's2018 UEFA European championship qualification campaign, Nelson scored twice againstHungary in March 2018.[66] Despite England qualifying for the tournament, he was one of a number of players withdrawn from selection for the tournament by their club.[67] On hisunder-21 debut againstAndorra, he scored the sixth goal in England's 7–0 win at theProact Stadium; the win sealed the team's qualification for the2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.[68] During the tournament, Nelson made only one appearance, a 3–3 draw againstCroatia in the group stage;[69] he scored England's first goal from a penalty, but it was not enough for England to qualify for the knockout stage.[70]
| 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 | ||
| Arsenal | 2017–18[15] | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8[c] | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| 2019–20[28] | Premier League | 17 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2[c] | 0 | — | 22 | 3 | ||
| 2020–21[39] | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[c] | 1 | 1[d] | 0 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2021–22[44] | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2022–23[46] | Premier League | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6[c] | 0 | — | 18 | 3 | ||
| 2023–24[54] | Premier League | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5[e] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 | |
| 2024–25[59] | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 50 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 90 | 8 | ||
| Arsenal U21 | 2023–24[54] | — | — | — | — | 1[f] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| TSG Hoffenheim (loan) | 2018–19[24] | Bundesliga | 23 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | 5[e] | 0 | — | 29 | 7 | ||
| Feyenoord (loan) | 2021–22[44] | Eredivisie | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 10[g] | 2 | — | 32 | 4 | ||
| Fulham (loan) | 2024–25[59] | Premier League | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 12 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 105 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 40 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 164 | 21 | ||
Arsenal
Arsenal U23
Feyenoord
Individual
