Derek Cornelius facts for kids
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Cornelius playing for Malmö FF in 2023
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 25 November 1997 | ||
| Place of birth | Ajax, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 1.87 m | ||
| Playing position | Centre-back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Marseille | ||
| Number | 13 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Ajax SC | |||
| 2009–2011 | Spartacus SC | ||
| 2011–2013 | Unionville-Milliken SC | ||
| 2014–2016 | VfB Lübeck | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2016 | VfB Lübeck | 1 | (0) |
| 2016 | VfR Neumünster | 17 | (2) |
| 2017–2018 | Javor Ivanjica | 28 | (0) |
| 2019–2022 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 35 | (1) |
| 2021–2022 | → Panetolikos (loan) | 42 | (2) |
| 2023–2024 | Malmö FF | 37 | (5) |
| 2024– | Marseille | 12 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2018–2021 | Canada U23 | 7 | (1) |
| 2018– | Canada | 29 | (0) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Derek Austin Cornelius (born on November 25, 1997) is a Canadian professional soccer player. He plays as a central defender, also known as a centre-back, for the French club Marseille in Ligue 1. He also plays for the Canada national team.
Contents
Early Life and Young Talent
Derek Cornelius was born in Ajax, Ontario, Canada. His father is from Barbados and his mother is from Jamaica. Derek started playing soccer at a very young age. When he was six, he was chosen for the Ajax Thunder under-8 team.
He quickly showed he was a talented player. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the Unionville Milliken Challenge Cup. Later, at the U11 level, he won the C.O.V.I. Championship and was again named MVP.
In 2012, Derek played in big tournaments like the Oviedo Cup in Spain and the Milk Cup in Northern Ireland. He even scored four goals in the Milk Cup! That same year, he was invited to train with the reserve team of a famous Russian club, PFC CSKA Moscow. He also played in U21 and men's leagues, scoring 22 goals in 30 games.
In 2013, Derek was selected for the Canadian national under-17 team. He went to training camps in Florida and Costa Rica. He was also chosen for the Canadian national under-16 team to play in a tournament in Italy.
Club Career Journey
Starting in Germany
In January 2014, Derek moved to Germany to continue his soccer training. He joined the U19 team at VfB Lübeck. He spent two seasons with the main team. However, he couldn't play in official games because of FIFA rules for young players. He became old enough to play on January 1, 2016. With VfB Lübeck, he helped the team win the Schleswig-Holstein Cup two years in a row.
In the summer of 2016, he moved to VfR Neumünster and played there for the first half of the season.
Moving to Serbia
During the winter break of the 2016–17 season, Derek joined FK Javor Ivanjica in Serbia. He had a successful tryout and signed with the team. He played his first league game on April 29, 2017. Interestingly, his coach at Javor, Srđan Vasiljević, changed Derek's position. He used to play as a forward (someone who scores goals), but the coach turned him into a centre-back (a player who defends the goal).
Back to Canada
On January 18, 2019, Derek returned to Canada and signed with MLS team Vancouver Whitecaps FC. He played his first game for the Whitecaps on March 2. On May 18, he scored his first goal for the club.
In July 2021, the Whitecaps announced that Derek would go on loan to Panetolikos, a team in Greece, until December 2022.
Winning in Sweden
In December 2022, Derek was transferred to Allsvenskan side Malmö FF in Sweden. He signed a contract with them until 2026. He played his first game for Malmö on February 19, 2023. He scored his first goal for the club on March 5, helping them win the match. His first season with Malmö was very successful, as the club won the 2023 Allsvenskan league title!
Joining Marseille
In August 2024, Derek Cornelius made another big move. He was transferred to Ligue 1 club Marseille in France. He signed a four-year deal with them. He played his first game for Marseille on August 17, starting in their first match of the season.
Playing for Canada
Youth Teams
Derek was part of the Canadian U17 team in 2013. He was also called up to the U23 team in 2018. In May 2018, he played for Canada's under-21 squad in the 2018 Toulon Tournament and received great reviews for how well he played. At the end of 2018, he was named the Canada Soccer Youth International Player of the Year.
In March 2021, Derek was named captain of the Canadian U-23 team for the 2020 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship. He even scored a goal against Honduras in one of the matches.
Senior National Team
In March 2018, Derek was called up to the Canadian senior team for the first time. He made his debut for Canada on September 9, 2018, playing the whole game in an 8–0 win. He was part of the squad for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
In November 2022, Derek was chosen to be part of Canada's team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which is a huge honor for any soccer player. In June 2023, he was named to the squad for the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals. However, he had to withdraw due to an injury and was replaced by another player.
In June 2024, Derek was again named to Canada's squad, this time for the 2024 Copa América tournament.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| VfB Lübeck | 2015–16 | Regionalliga Nord | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| VfR Neumünster | 2016–17 | Oberliga Schleswig-Holstein | 17 | 2 | — | — | 17 | 2 | ||
| Javor Ivanjica | 2016–17 | Serbian SuperLiga | 3 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 25 | 0 | |||
| 2018–19 | Serbian First League | 3 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| Total | 28 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 31 | 0 | |||
| Vancouver Whitecaps | 2019 | Major League Soccer | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 18 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 13 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0 | |||
| 2021 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 35 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 1 | ||
| Panetolikos (loan) | 2021–22 | Super League Greece | 29 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | 33 | 2 | |
| 2022–23 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| Total | 42 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | 45 | 2 | |||
| Malmö FF | 2023 | Allsvenskan | 25 | 3 | 5 | 1 | — | 30 | 4 | |
| 2024 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 0 | — | 19 | 2 | |||
| Total | 37 | 5 | 12 | 1 | — | 49 | 6 | |||
| Marseille | 2024–25 | Ligue 1 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | |
| Career total | 170 | 10 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 194 | 11 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 2018 | 4 | 0 |
| 2019 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 11 | 0 | |
| Total | 29 | 0 | |
Awards and Achievements
VfB Lübeck
- Schleswig-Holstein Cup: 2015, 2016
Malmö FF
- Allsvenskan: 2023, 2024
- Svenska Cupen: 2023–24
Individual Awards
- CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Best XI: 2020
- Canadian Men's Youth International Player of the Year: 2018
See also
In Spanish: Derek Cornelius para niños
