Ben Nelson
Shirt number 26

Ben Nelson

Centre-back Ben Nelson has enjoyed a rapid rise through Leicester City's Academy ranks over recent years to play a part in the First Team's success in 2023/24.
Ben Nelson
Full Name
Ben Nelson
Nationality
English
Date of Birth
18 March 2004
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It's fair to say that the season just gone was a breakthrough one for the Northampton-born defender, who has evolved into an aerial presence and a composed figure at the back when called upon, under Manager Enzo Maresca's guidance.

His senior debut for the Club, starring from the bench in a Carabao Cup Second Round success at Tranmere Rovers in August 2023, was followed by a maiden Sky Bet Championship appearance against Plymouth Argyle and then first league start at Watford. Both ended in victory.

The milestones kept coming when Nelson found the net for the first time in Leicester blue - against Queens Park Rangers. Promotion capped off a sensational campaign for the youngster. 

Starting with his first appearance for City’s Under-18s, Nelson went on to play regularly for the Development Squad in 2020/21, featuring in a first-team squad during the Foxes’ UEFA Europa League campaign and then capped the year off with an Academy Player of the Season Award.

It was a remarkable feat considering Nelson had only ever played Under-16s football before the start of that campaign. He was a regular in Premier League 2, with 16 appearances across 2020/21, as well as featuring twice in the EFL Trophy as Leicester reached the third round of the competition.

Nelson also turned out for the Under-18s on occasion, playing four times in Premier League U18, scoring once, as well as making two FA Youth Cup appearances in Leicester's run to the fifth round.

In the summer of 2021, meanwhile, the then-England Under-18s star, who previously represented Scotland at youth international level, also featured often in pre-season, making his King Power Stadium bow in the 3-2 victory over Europa League winners Villarreal.

Since moving into the Young Lions' Under-19s squad, and now Under-20s, Nelson's first international goal arrived in March 2024, against Poland. 

At club level, meanwhile, Nelson was named in several Premier League and Europa League matchday squads in 2021/22 while playing a prominent role for the Development Squad in Premier League 2, with 19 appearances to his name, alongside featuring in the EFL Trophy and FA Youth Cup.

The first half of the 2022/23 season was spent out on loan at Sky Bet League 2 outfit Rochdale, where Nelson played 12 times in all competitions - 10 of those coming in the league - prior to another loan in the fourth tier, with Doncaster Rovers, making 15 appearances.

The youngest member of the 2023/24 title-winning squad, his development continued through several appearances for the Development Squad, alongside his nine outings in the First Team. 

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