.jpg) Nelsen as head coach of Toronto FC in 2013 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ryan William Nelsen[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 18 October 1977[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Christchurch, New Zealand | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[2] | ||
| 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 ONZM (born 18 October 1977) is a former New Zealand professional football player and former head coach of Major League Soccer side Toronto FC.
Nelsen commonly played as a defender, and his professional career began in 1995. He notably captained the New Zealand national team and started his professional football career in his native country for Christchurch United. In 2001, he joined MLS side D.C. United and went on to play 81 times in the league, scoring 7 goals. In 2005, he moved to England with Premier League side Blackburn Rovers where he scored 8 times in 172 appearances. In 2012, he made a move to Tottenham Hotspur but only managed 5 appearances (scoring once in an FA Cup tie against Bolton Wanderers, the re-arranged match following Fabrice Muamba's cardiac arrest) before joining Queens Park Rangers in the summer of 2012. He agreed to return to MLS on 8 January 2013 by signing with Toronto FC as head coach.[3] He was fired from Toronto FC on 31 August 2014.
- ^ a b Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2010). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2010–11. Mainstream Publishing. p. 306. ISBN 978-1-84596-601-0.
- ^ "Premier League Player Profile". Premier League. Archived from the original on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
TFCannoucementwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).