Ryan Nelsen facts for kids
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Nelsen as head coach of Toronto FC in 2013
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ryan William Nelsen | ||
| Date of birth | 18 October 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Christchurch, New Zealand | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–1998 | Greensboro Pride | ||
| 1999–2000 | Stanford Cardinal | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1995–1998 | Christchurch United | 96 | (12) |
| 2001–2005 | D.C. United | 81 | (7) |
| 2005–2012 | Blackburn Rovers | 172 | (8) |
| 2012 | Tottenham Hotspur | 5 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | Queens Park Rangers | 21 | (1) |
| Total | 375 | (28) | |
| International career | |||
| 2008 | New Zealand Olympic (O.P.) | 5 | (0) |
| 2012 | New Zealand Olympic (O.P.) | 3 | (0) |
| 1999–2012 | New Zealand | 49 | (7) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2013–2014 | Toronto FC | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Ryan William Nelsen (born on October 18, 1977) is a former professional soccer player and coach from New Zealand. He was known for playing as a defender.
Ryan started his professional soccer journey in 1995. He was the captain of the New Zealand national team. He began his career in his home country with Christchurch United. In 2001, he joined Major League Soccer (MLS) team D.C. United in the United States. Later, in 2005, he moved to England to play for Premier League club Blackburn Rovers.
In 2012, Ryan joined Tottenham Hotspur, but he only played in five games before moving to Queens Park Rangers later that year. From January 2013 to August 2014, he was the head coach for Toronto FC in the MLS.
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Early Life and College Soccer
Ryan Nelsen went to Our Lady of the Assumption primary school and St Thomas of Canterbury College in New Zealand. In 1997, he moved to the United States to play college soccer for Greensboro College in North Carolina. He played there for two years and helped his team, The Pride, reach the championship game of the NCAA Division III tournament.
After Greensboro, he transferred to Stanford University for his last two years of college soccer. At Stanford, he was named the team's Most Valuable Player in his junior year. He also earned an All-American title as a senior, playing as a defensive midfielder. Ryan graduated from Stanford with a degree in political science.
Club Career Highlights
Starting in New Zealand
Ryan played for Christchurch United from 1995 to 1998. Even after moving to the United States for college, he played his last season with Christchurch United when he was back home for a break from his university soccer scholarship.
Playing for D.C. United
In 2001, D.C. United chose Ryan as the fourth player overall in the MLS SuperDraft. He spent four years playing in Major League Soccer (MLS). By 2002, he became a regular starter for the team. In 2003, he was named team captain and won the team's Defender of the Year Award. He was also chosen for the league's MLS Best XI, which features the best players in the league.
In 2004, Ryan helped D.C. United win their fourth MLS Cup championship. He was again named to the Best XI. During his four years in MLS, Ryan scored seven goals and made five assists.
Time at Blackburn Rovers
Ryan joined Blackburn Rovers in England in January 2005 without a transfer fee. He quickly impressed the manager, Mark Hughes, and helped make Blackburn's defense very strong. After just six months, he signed a new three-year contract. He also successfully got a special permission to work in England after his first request was turned down.
In the 2005–06 season, Blackburn finished sixth in the league, which meant they qualified for the UEFA Cup competition. Ryan missed the last few games of that season because he broke his foot. Despite this, other clubs were interested in him, but Blackburn turned down their offers. In February 2006, he played a full game in a 4–3 win against Manchester United.
Before the 2006–07 season, Ryan faced another challenge with a serious leg muscle injury that kept him out until the new year. When he returned to the team in an FA Cup game, he was immediately made captain. In July 2007, he signed a new five-year contract with the club. He scored his first league goal for Blackburn in April 2009, helping the team stay in the Premier League. He scored more goals in the following seasons, including against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.
In January 2011, Ryan played his 200th game for Blackburn. He signed a two-year contract extension that would keep him at the club until 2013. However, under the new manager, Steve Kean, Ryan was no longer the main team captain, becoming vice-captain instead. He then suffered a knee injury that made him miss the rest of the 2010–11 season. After recovering, he left Blackburn in January 2012 to join Tottenham Hotspur.
Short Stays at Tottenham and QPR
Ryan joined Tottenham Hotspur on February 2, 2012, without a transfer fee. He made his debut for Tottenham on February 11, 2012, in a Premier League match. He scored his first goal for Tottenham on March 27, 2012, in an FA Cup game against Bolton Wanderers. Tottenham won that match 3–1.
On May 25, 2012, Ryan left Tottenham. He had played eight games and scored one goal for them.
On June 18, 2012, Ryan signed a one-year deal with Queens Park Rangers (QPR). He scored his first goal for QPR against Wigan Athletic, which helped his team tie the score 1–1.
In January 2013, it was announced that Ryan would become the new head coach for the Canadian MLS team Toronto FC. He played his last game for QPR against Manchester City on January 29, 2013. After the game, his teammates gave him a special farewell. He officially joined Toronto FC on February 1.
International Career for New Zealand
Ryan Nelsen played his first game for the New Zealand (also known as the All Whites) on June 19, 1999, against Poland. He was part of the All Whites team that won the 2002 OFC Nations Cup. In the final, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against their rivals, Australia.
Ryan often missed playing for New Zealand between 2004 and 2008 due to a recurring leg muscle injury. However, he captained the New Zealand Under-23 team when they played in the 2008 Summer Olympics for the first time.
Ryan also captained the All Whites when they qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. They beat Bahrain in a two-game playoff in November 2009 to earn their spot. On May 10, 2010, Ryan was named in New Zealand's final 23-player squad for the World Cup.
On June 15, Ryan captained New Zealand to their first-ever point in a FIFA World Cup Finals match, drawing 1–1 with Slovakia. On June 24, he again led the All Whites in a 0–0 draw with Paraguay. Even though New Zealand was knocked out in the group stages, they achieved a memorable 1–1 draw with Italy, who were the reigning champions from the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
In July 2010, Ryan Nelsen was named in a special "World Cup Best XI" team by the American sports channel, ESPN.
Coaching Career
On January 8, 2013, Ryan Nelsen became the head coach of Major League Soccer team Toronto FC. He started his new role on February 1, just in time for Toronto's pre-season training. Ryan won his first game as a head coach on March 9, when Toronto FC beat Sporting Kansas City 2–1. He was let go from his coaching position on August 31, 2014, after his team won three of their last 13 matches.
Writing Career
Ryan Nelsen co-wrote a book called Ryan Nelsen's Road to the World Cup with New Zealand author Tony Smith.
Honours
In 2011, Ryan Nelsen was given a special award, becoming an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for his great contributions to soccer.
D.C. United
- MLS Cup: 2004
Blackburn Rovers
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2007
New Zealand
- OFC Nations Cup: 2002, 2008
- Merdeka Cup: 2000
Individual Awards
- MLS Best XI: 2003, 2004
- IFFHS OFC Men's Team of the Decade: 2011–2020
- IFFHS Oceania Men's Team of All Time: 2021
- Oceania Footballer of the Year: 2006, 2010
See also
In Spanish: Ryan Nelsen para niños
- New Zealand at the FIFA World Cup
- List of New Zealand international footballers
