Trevor Carson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Trevor Carson

Carson training with Dundee in 2023
Personal information
Full name	Trevor Carson
Date of birth	(1988-03-05) 5 March 1988 (age 37)
Place of birth	Killyleagh, Northern Ireland
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Dundee
Number	31
Youth career
	Killyleagh Boys
2004–2007	Sunderland
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2007–2012	Sunderland	0	(0)
2008–2009	→ Chesterfield (loan)	18	(0)
2011	→ Lincoln City (loan)	16	(0)
2011	→ Brentford (loan)	1	(0)
2011	→ Bury (loan)	8	(0)
2012	→ Hull City (loan)	0	(0)
2012	→ Bury (loan)	9	(0)
2012–2014	Bury	44	(0)
2013–2014	→ Portsmouth (loan)	37	(0)
2014–2015	Cheltenham Town	46	(0)
2015–2017	Hartlepool United	57	(0)
2017–2021	Motherwell	57	(0)
2021–2022	Dundee United	4	(0)
2022	→ Morecambe (loan)	21	(0)
2022–2023	St Mirren	37	(0)
2023–	Dundee	47	(0)
International career‡
	Northern Ireland U17	8	(0)
	Northern Ireland U18	2	(0)
	Northern Ireland U19	9	(0)
	Northern Ireland U20	2	(0)
2006–2009	Northern Ireland U21	15	(0)
2009	Northern Ireland B	1	(0)
2018–	Northern Ireland	8	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:08, 18 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:55, 21 March 2022 (UTC)

Trevor Carson (born 5 March 1988) is a professional footballer from Northern Ireland. He plays as a goalkeeper for the Scottish club Dundee.

Trevor started his youth career with Killyleagh Boys in Northern Ireland. In 2004, he joined Sunderland. He signed his first professional contract with Sunderland in 2006. During his time there, he went on several loan spells to other clubs. These included Chesterfield, Lincoln City, Brentford, Bury, and Hull City.

In 2012, Sunderland released him, and he joined Bury permanently. After two seasons with Bury, and a loan spell at Portsmouth, Carson moved to Cheltenham Town. He won the Player of the Year award there, even though the team was relegated.

Next, Carson had two successful seasons with Hartlepool United. He won their Player of the Year award in his first season. In 2017, Carson moved to Scotland to play for Motherwell. He spent four seasons with Motherwell. After that, he had shorter periods with Dundee United, Morecambe, and St Mirren. Since 2023, Carson has been playing for Dundee.

Carson has also played for Northern Ireland at both youth and senior levels. He was first called up for the senior team in 2010. He made his official debut for Northern Ireland in 2018. He has played 8 times for his country.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Sunderland

Trevor Carson began his football journey at Killyleagh Boys. He then joined Sunderland in 2004. He moved up through the club's youth system. Carson became a backup goalkeeper for the senior team in 2005. He signed a professional contract with Sunderland in 2006.

He made his first appearance for Sunderland in a friendly match in July 2006. He continued to be a backup goalkeeper for the team. In October 2009, Carson signed a new contract with Sunderland. This contract kept him at the club until 2012.

In the 2010–11 season, Carson had a shoulder injury during a pre-season tour. This kept him out of action for several months. Sunderland released him on 19 May 2012.

Loan Spells from Sunderland

• Chesterfield: In August 2008, Carson joined Chesterfield on loan. He made his professional debut on 23 August 2008, keeping a clean sheet. He quickly became the first-choice goalkeeper. Sunderland called him back early in January 2009 due to injuries to their other goalkeepers.
• Lincoln City: Carson was loaned to Lincoln City in January 2011. He made his debut on 22 January 2011. He became the team's main goalkeeper. His loan was extended, but Sunderland recalled him again in April 2011.
• Brentford: In March 2011, Carson joined Brentford on loan. He played one game for them. However, a knee injury kept him from playing more. He was recalled by Sunderland in April 2011.
• Bury (First Time): Carson was loaned to Bury in September 2011. He quickly became their first-choice goalkeeper. He played eight games before Sunderland recalled him in November 2011.
• Hull City: In January 2012, Carson went on loan to Hull City. He did not play any games for them and returned to Sunderland a month later.
• Bury (Second Time): Shortly after Hull City, Carson returned to Bury on another loan. He played his second debut for the club in February 2012. He regained his spot as the first-choice goalkeeper. He made 17 appearances across his two loan spells with Bury.

Playing for Bury

In May 2012, Bury signed Carson permanently on a two-year contract. He was given the number one shirt. His first game as a permanent Bury player was in August 2012. He quickly became the team's main goalkeeper.

Carson even captained Bury for the first time in August 2012. He helped the team keep two clean sheets in a row in early 2013. He played with a fractured hand for a while. Later, he suffered more injuries that kept him out for the rest of the season. Bury was relegated to the fourth tier of English football. He played 45 games in his first season.

At the start of the 2013–14 season, Carson lost his starting spot. He made only five appearances before being loaned out. Bury released him in April 2014.

Loan to Portsmouth

In October 2013, Carson joined Portsmouth on a three-month loan. He made a great debut, keeping a clean sheet in a 3–0 win. He became the team's number one goalkeeper.

Carson wanted to stay at Portsmouth permanently. He helped the team keep several clean sheets. His loan was extended until the end of the season. He played 39 games for Portsmouth. After the season, he returned to Bury. Portsmouth did not sign him permanently.

Time at Cheltenham Town

On 30 June 2014, Carson joined Cheltenham Town for free. He was given the number one shirt. He made his debut against his old club, Bury, keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 win.

Carson captained Cheltenham Town for the first time in a League Cup match. He helped set up a winning goal in one game. His strong performances earned him a nomination for Player of the Month. He captained the team on two more occasions. However, he could not prevent the club from being relegated in April 2015. He played 51 games that season. For his excellent play, Carson was named the club's Player of the Year.

Years with Hartlepool United

On 15 June 2015, Carson signed with Hartlepool United. He wanted to be closer to his family. He was expected to be the main goalkeeper but suffered a toe injury.

He returned to play in October 2015. He made his debut for Hartlepool United on 17 October 2015, keeping a clean sheet. He quickly became the first-choice goalkeeper. His manager praised his performances. He signed a contract extension in April 2016. Carson was named Hartlepool United's Player of the Year. He played 38 games in his first season.

In the 2016–17 season, Carson remained the main goalkeeper. He missed some games due to international duty. In November 2016, he got injured during a game. He recovered quickly and returned to play. He wrote in the club's program about the team's poor defense. He later suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out for most of the season. He returned for the last two games. Hartlepool United was relegated on the final day of the season. He played 25 games that season.

Moving to Motherwell

On 6 June 2017, Carson joined Motherwell in Scotland. He signed a three-year contract and received the number 1 jersey. He made his Motherwell debut in a 2–1 loss against Rangers. In his second game, he was sent off.

After his suspension, he became Motherwell's first-choice goalkeeper. He helped the club reach the 2017 Scottish League Cup final, where they lost to Celtic. In December, he had a knee injury but returned quickly. He helped Motherwell reach the 2018 Scottish Cup final, but they lost to Celtic again. He played 46 games that season and kept 18 clean sheets.

At the start of the 2018–19 season, Carson continued as the main goalkeeper. In September 2018, he suffered an ankle injury but returned quickly. In November 2018, he was diagnosed with a serious health condition involving blood clots. He returned to fitness in May 2019 but was then the second-choice goalkeeper. He played 17 games that season.

In January 2020, Carson signed a new contract with Motherwell until 2022. He remained a backup until the season ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Motherwell finished third in the league.

When the main goalkeeper left in 2020, Carson regained his starting spot. He played his first game in 20 months in August 2020. He was also named the team's vice-captain. He played in a 2020–21 UEFA Europa League match against Coleraine. He made three saves in a penalty shootout, helping Motherwell win. In October 2020, he had knee surgery. He had kept four clean sheets before his injury.

Time with Dundee United

Dundee United signed Carson on 8 July 2021. He signed a two-year contract with the club.

Loan to Morecambe

On 5 January 2022, Carson joined EFL League One team Morecambe on loan. He reunited with his former Motherwell boss, Stephen Robinson. He stayed there for the rest of the season.

Playing for St Mirren

On 25 May 2022, Carson joined St Mirren on a two-year deal. In March 2023, he signed an extension to his contract. This kept him at St Mirren until the end of the 2024/25 season.

Current Club: Dundee

On 2 August 2023, Dundee announced they had signed Carson on a three-year deal. Carson made his debut for Dundee against his former club, St Mirren.

In his second season with Dundee, he had an injury. He lost his starting spot to Jon McCracken. However, he made his first league start of the season on 20 October 2024 against Motherwell. The Dundee manager now rotates between Carson and McCracken. A highlight of his time at Dundee was on 20 January 2025. He earned a spot in the SPFL's Team of the Week. This was after a great performance and clean sheet in a Scottish Cup win against Dundee United. It was Dundee's first clean sheet derby win in over 20 years.

International Career

Youth Teams

Carson played for Northern Ireland at various youth levels. He was first called up for the Northern Ireland U17 in 2004. He played eight times for the U17 team. He also played for the Northern Ireland U18, Northern Ireland U19, and Northern Ireland U20 teams.

In November 2006, Carson was called up to the Northern Ireland U21 squad. He played for the U21 team for the next three years. In May 2009, Carson also played for the Northern Ireland B team.

Senior National Team

In February 2010, Carson was called up to the senior Northern Ireland squad. He was an unused substitute in a match in March 2010. For the next eight years, he was often called up but remained an unused substitute. Injuries also prevented him from making his debut.

In January 2013, he was called up again but had to withdraw due to a broken finger. In May 2015, he was called up for a friendly game. There were talks about him being in the squad for UEFA Euro 2016, but he did not make the final team.

Carson finally made his international debut on 24 March 2018, against South Korea. He played four more times that year, keeping two clean sheets. After not playing for two years, Carson started in goal against Norway in October 2020.

Personal Life

Trevor Carson is engaged to Rachel. He became a father for the first time in November 2012. In July 2018, he became a father for a second time.

Carson comes from a large family with four brothers and two sisters. He shared that his grandad and father, who were both goalkeepers, greatly influenced his decision to become one.

In June 2016, Carson helped raise money for his sister-in-law, Melanie Hartshorn. She has a rare condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. In November 2018, Carson was diagnosed with a serious health condition involving blood clots. In June 2020, Carson shared that he faced challenges with his well-being for three years after leaving Hartlepool United.

Career Statistics

Awards and Achievements

Brentford

• Football League Trophy runner-up: 2010–11

Motherwell

• Scottish Cup runner-up: 2017–18
• Scottish League Cup runner-up: 2017–18

Individual Awards

• Cheltenham Town Supporters' Player of the Year: 2014–15
• Hartlepool United Players' Player of the Year: 2015–16
• Hartlepool United Supporters' Player of the Year: 2015–16
• Hartlepool United Community Player of the Year: 2015–16
• Motherwell Player of the Year: 2017–18
• Motherwell Players' Player of the Year: 2017–18
• Well Society Player of the Year: 2017–18