Ben Nelson (footballer, born 2004)
English footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Benjamin Harvey Nelson (born 18 March 2004)[2] is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or left-back for EFL League One club Leicester City.
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Ben Nelson in 2025. | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth name | Benjamin Harvey Nelson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 18 March 2004 | ||
| Place of birth | Northampton, England | ||
| Height | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Leicester City | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2013–2020 | Leicester City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020– | Leicester City | 29 | (2) |
| 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 15:42, 12 May 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 18:54, 23 March 2025 (UTC) | |||
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 3 April 2026
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Leicester City U21 | 2020–21[19] | — | — | — | 2[a] | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 2021–22[20] | — | — | — | 1[a] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Leicester City | 2023–24[21] | Championship | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 9 | 1 | |
| 2025–26[22] | Championship | 24 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 27 | 1 | ||
| Total | 29 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 2 | ||
| Rochdale (loan) | 2022–23[23] | League Two | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Doncaster Rovers (loan) | 2022–23[23] | League Two | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Oxford United (loan) | 2024–25[24] | Championship | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 17 | 1 | |
| Career total | 71 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 83 | 3 | ||
- Appearances in EFL Trophy
Honours
Leicester City
