Junior Hoilett facts for kids
Hoilett playing for Canada at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | David Wayne Hoilett | ||
| Date of birth | 5 June 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Brampton, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Left winger | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Hibernian | ||
| Number | 23 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Brampton YSC | |||
| CS Azzurri | |||
| Oakville SC | |||
| 2003–2007 | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2012 | Blackburn Rovers | 81 | (12) |
| 2007–2008 | → SC Paderborn (loan) | 12 | (1) |
| 2008–2009 | → FC St. Pauli (loan) | 21 | (6) |
| 2012–2016 | Queens Park Rangers | 112 | (12) |
| 2016–2021 | Cardiff City | 173 | (23) |
| 2021–2023 | Reading | 61 | (4) |
| 2023 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 7 | (0) |
| 2024 | Aberdeen | 13 | (2) |
| 2024– | Hibernian | 28 | (4) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2015– | Canada | 65 | (17) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of May 17, 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 November 2024 |
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David Wayne Hoilett (born on June 5, 1990), known as Junior Hoilett, is a Canadian professional soccer player. He plays as a left winger for Scottish Premiership club Hibernian. He also plays for the Canada national team.
Junior Hoilett joined the English club Blackburn Rovers when he was 13. He was loaned to German clubs SC Paderborn and FC St. Pauli because of rules about playing in the UK. He made his debut for Blackburn in 2009. He then played for Queens Park Rangers and Cardiff City. With Cardiff, he helped the team get promoted to the Premier League in the 2017–18 season. He also played for Reading, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and Aberdeen.
Hoilett started playing for the Canadian national team in 2015. He played in several CONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments. He was also part of Canada's team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He played in all three of Canada's games at that tournament.
Contents
Early Life and Youth Football
Junior Hoilett was born in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. He was one of four children. His parents are from Jamaica. His father used to be a DJ and music promoter.
He had a very sporty childhood. He played against his three brothers and sisters in many different sports. Before focusing on soccer at age 11, he played baseball and basketball. His younger brother, Jaineil, also became a soccer player.
Hoilett played youth soccer in Canada for teams like Brampton Youth SC and Oakville SC. He traveled around the world with his club team. He got noticed at a tournament in Wales. He decided to join Blackburn Rovers in England in 2003. He felt he had a better chance to play for the main team there, even though Manchester United also wanted him. After moving to England, he went to St Bede's Roman Catholic High School in Blackburn.
Club Career Highlights
Junior Hoilett moved up through Blackburn's youth teams. He signed his first professional contract at 16. However, he faced a challenge: he couldn't get a work permit to play in the United Kingdom. To solve this, Blackburn decided to loan him to a club in another European country. He chose Germany over Belgium or France.
Playing in Germany
Hoilett joined SC Paderborn on loan. He played his first senior game for them on February 3, 2008, when he was 17. He scored his only goal for Paderborn on May 18, 2008.
After that, he was loaned to another German club, FC St. Pauli, for the 2008–09 season. He scored six goals during his time there. He scored two goals in one game twice, against Alemannia Aachen and Hansa Rostock. St. Pauli finished eighth in their league that season.
Time at Blackburn Rovers
In 2009, Hoilett finally got his work permit to play in England. Blackburn Rovers decided to keep him instead of sending him on another loan.
He made his debut for Blackburn in the first game of the 2009–10 season. He scored his first goal for the club in a League Cup match against Gillingham on August 25, 2009. His good performances led the club to offer him a new contract, which he signed in February 2010. He played 27 games that season and scored one goal.
In the 2010–11 season, Hoilett scored his first league goal against West Bromwich Albion in January 2011. He scored five league goals that season. In September 2011, he had a head injury during a game but recovered.
In January 2012, FIFA, the world football governing body, named Hoilett as one of the players to watch that year. In the 2011–12 season, he was known for having the most successful dribbles per game in the Premier League.
Moving to Queens Park Rangers
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Hoilett joined Queens Park Rangers (QPR) on July 27, 2012. He signed a four-year contract. He scored his first goal for QPR in a League Cup game in September 2012. His first season at QPR was tough due to injuries and poor form, and the team was relegated to the Championship.
In the 2013–14 Championship season, he scored two goals. He also helped QPR get promoted back to the Premier League. In the play-off final against Derby County, he assisted the only goal of the game, scored by Bobby Zamora. Hoilett left QPR in 2016 after his contract ended.
Time at Cardiff City
On October 6, 2016, Hoilett signed with Cardiff City. This was the first signing for the new manager, Neil Warnock. He made his debut on October 14. He scored his first goal for Cardiff in November 2016. He signed a one-year contract extension in May 2017.
The 2017–18 season was his best at Cardiff. He scored twelve goals and helped Cardiff finish second in the Championship, which meant they were promoted to the Premier League. Hoilett signed a new three-year contract in June 2018. He scored his first Premier League goal since 2012 in November 2018.
On May 9, 2021, Hoilett announced he was leaving Cardiff City after five years. He had played 184 games for the club.
Playing for Reading and Vancouver
On August 19, 2021, Hoilett signed a one-year contract with Reading. He scored his first goal for Reading against his old club, Cardiff City, in October. He re-signed with Reading in July 2022. He sometimes played as a wing-back and was praised by his coach. He left Reading in 2023.
On September 14, 2023, Hoilett joined Major League Soccer club Vancouver Whitecaps FC. He played seven games for them before his contract ended at the end of 2023.
Recent Clubs: Aberdeen and Hibernian
On February 16, 2024, Junior Hoilett signed a short-term deal with Scottish Premiership club Aberdeen. He reunited with manager Neil Warnock there. He made his debut the next day, becoming the first Canadian player to play for Aberdeen. He left Aberdeen on July 30, 2024.
On August 6, 2024, Hoilett joined Hibernian on a one-year deal. He scored four goals and assisted five others in 30 games during the 2024–25 season. Hibs finished third in the Scottish Premiership. On July 1, 2025, Hoilett signed a new one-year contract with Hibs.
International Career
As a child, Hoilett was the captain of Canada's team at the 2001 Danone Nations Cup in Paris.
He could have chosen to play for either Canada or Jamaica. In 2011, he turned down a call-up from Canada. In 2012, he even said he would think about playing for England if he could.
Hoilett officially decided to play for Canada in September 2015. He got his first international cap on October 13, 2015, in a game against Ghana. He scored his first international goal in July 2017 during the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
He was part of Canada's squad for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He scored goals in wins against Martinique and Cuba. In September 2019, he was Canada's captain for the first time in a game against Cuba. He scored three goals in that match, which is called a hat-trick.
Hoilett was called up for the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He scored in wins against Haiti and Costa Rica, helping Canada reach the semi-finals.
On March 27, 2022, Hoilett scored a goal as Canada beat Jamaica 4–0. This win meant Canada qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1986. In November 2022, Hoilett was named to Canada’s World Cup team. He played in all three of Canada's games at the tournament.
In June 2023, Hoilett was part of Canada's team for the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals and the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup. In June 2024, he was supposed to play in the 2024 Copa América, but he had to withdraw due to an injury.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Blackburn Rovers | 2009–10 | Premier League | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | – | 27 | 1 | |
| 2010–11 | 24 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | 28 | 6 | |||
| 2011–12 | 35 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 38 | 7 | |||
| Total | 81 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 1 | – | 92 | 14 | |||
| SC Paderborn (loan) | 2007–08 | 2. Bundesliga | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 12 | 1 | ||
| FC St. Pauli (loan) | 2008–09 | 2. Bundesliga | 21 | 6 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 21 | 6 | ||
| Queens Park Rangers | 2012–13 | Premier League | 26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | – | 28 | 3 | |
| 2013–14 | Championship | 35 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 39 | 4 | |
| 2014–15 | Premier League | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 24 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | Championship | 29 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 31 | 6 | ||
| Total | 112 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 122 | 13 | ||
| Cardiff City | 2016–17 | Championship | 33 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 | 2 | |
| 2017–18 | 46 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | – | 50 | 11 | |||
| 2018–19 | Premier League | 32 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 32 | 3 | ||
| 2019–20 | Championship | 41 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 7 | |
| 2020–21 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 23 | 2 | |||
| Total | 173 | 23 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 184 | 25 | ||
| Reading | 2021–22 | Championship | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 27 | 3 | |
| 2022–23 | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 35 | 1 | |||
| Total | 61 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 62 | 4 | |||
| Vancouver Whitecaps | 2023 | MLS | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| Aberdeen | 2023–24 | Scottish Premiership | 13 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 15 | 2 | ||
| Hibernian | 2024–25 | Scottish Premiership | 28 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 30 | 4 | |
| Career total | 508 | 64 | 14 | 3 | 18 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 547 | 69 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 2015 | 3 | 0 |
| 2016 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 7 | 6 | |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 12 | 4 | |
| 2022 | 14 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2024 | 4 | 2 | |
| Total | 65 | 17 | |
- Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Hoilett goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 July 2017 | University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, United States | 16 |  Jamaica |
1–2 | 1–2 | 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 2 | 9 September 2018 | IMG Academy, Bradenton, United States | 18 |  U.S. Virgin Islands |
6–0 | 8–0 | 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League qualification |
| 3 | 16 October 2018 | BMO Field, Toronto, Canada | 19 |  Dominica |
2–0 | 5–0 | 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League qualification |
| 4 | 24 March 2019 | BC Place, Vancouver, Canada | 21 |  French Guiana |
1–0 | 4–1 | 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League qualification |
| 5 | 15 June 2019 | Rose Bowl, Pasadena, United States | 22 |  Martinique |
3–0 | 4–0 | 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 6 | 23 June 2019 | Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, United States | 23 |  Cuba |
5–0 | 7–0 | 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 7 | 7 September 2019 | BMO Field, Toronto, Canada | 25 | Cuba |
1–0 | 6–0 | 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League A |
| 8 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 9 | 6–0 | ||||||
| 10 | 5 June 2021 | IMG Academy, Bradenton, United States | 30 |  Aruba |
2–0 | 7–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11 | 15 June 2021 | SeatGeek Stadium, Bridgeview, United States | 31 |  Haiti |
3–0 | 3–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 12 | 15 July 2021 | Children's Mercy Park, Kansas City, United States | 33 | Haiti |
4–1 | 4–1 | 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 13 | 25 July 2021 | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, United States | 35 |  Costa Rica |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 14 | 27 March 2022 | BMO Field, Toronto, Canada | 44 | Jamaica |
3–0 | 4–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 15 | 4 July 2023 | Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, United States | 58 | Cuba |
1–0 | 4–2 | 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 16 | 13 October 2023 | Denka Big Swan Stadium, Niigata, Japan | 60 |  Japan |
1–4 | 1–4 | Friendly |
| 17 | 15 November 2024 | Frank Essed Stadion, Paramaribo, Suriname | 64 |  Suriname |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League A |
Awards and Achievements
Queens Park Rangers
- Championship play-offs: 2014 (Winner)
Cardiff City
- Championship runner-up: 2017–18
Canada National Team
- CONCACAF Nations League runner-up: 2023
Individual Awards
- BBC Goal of the Month: November 2018
See also
In Spanish: Junior Hoilett para niños
