Jelani Peters (born December 17, 1993) is a Trinidadian professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a
defender.
Playing career
Club career
Peters played 22 matches with
W Connection
W. Connection Football Club is a professional football (soccer), football club from Trinidad and Tobago, which currently plays in the TT Pro League. The club plays its home games at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella. The club's offices are ba ...
during the 2016–17 season (18 in league, 4 in
Champions League) before being loaned out to American
second-tier side
Toronto FC II
Toronto FC II is a Canadian professional soccer team based in Toronto, Ontario, that competes in MLS Next Pro, a third tier league of the United States soccer league system. It is the reserve team and minor league affiliate of Toronto FC as we ...
in April 2017, after a preseason trial.
He made his league debut with the team on April 7, appearing as a part of the starting XI in a 0–0 draw with the
Rochester Rhinos
Rochester Rhinos, formerly known as the Rochester Raging Rhinos, was an American soccer team based in Rochester, New York, United States. The club won the 1999 U.S. Open Cup, marking the only time a non-MLS team has won the U.S. Open Cup sinc ...
.
After another appearance against
Ottawa Fury, Toronto FC II signed Peters to a permanent contract on May 19.
[ Later that day, he played against ]Tampa Bay Rowdies
The Tampa Bay Rowdies are an American professional soccer team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The club was founded in 2008 and first took the pitch in 2010. Since 2017, the Rowdies have been members of the USL Championship in the second tie ...
, again in head coach Jason Bent
Jason Andrew Bent (born March 8, 1977) is a Canadian former soccer player and current assistant coach for LA Galaxy. A midfielder, he played in Major League Soccer for the Colorado Rapids, 2. Bundesliga for FSV Zwickau and the Football League ...
's starting XI.
In April 2021, Peters signed with Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC is an American professional soccer team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1998 and beginning play in 1999, the club plays in the Eastern Conference of the USL Championship, the second tier of the American ...
after a successful trial.
On 20 January 2023, Peter moved to USL Championship
The USL Championship (USLC) is a men's professional association football, soccer league in the second tier of the United States soccer league system#Men's leagues, United States league system. It is organized by the United Soccer League (USL) a ...
side Memphis 901
Memphis 901 FC was an American professional association football, soccer team based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 2018, the team made its debut in the USL Championship in 2019.
On November 13, 2024, it was announced that the team would be ...
. He left Memphis following the 2023 season.
International career
Peters was called up to the Trinidad and Tobago national team
Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in th ...
in November 2016, and appeared on the bench in 2018 World Cup qualifying
The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification process was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations to decide 31 of the 32 teams which would play in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with Russia qualifying automatically as hosts. All 210 ...
games against Costa Rica
Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...
and Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...
.
References
External links
One on One with Jelani Peters
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Toronto FC profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peters, Jelani
Living people
1993 births
Trinidad and Tobago men's footballers
21st-century Trinidad and Tobago sportsmen
Trinidad and Tobago men's international footballers
Trinidad and Tobago expatriate men's footballers
Men's association football defenders
La Horquetta Rangers F.C. players
W Connection F.C. players
Toronto FC II players
TT Pro League players
USL Championship players
Footballers from Port of Spain
Trinidad and Tobago expatriate sportspeople in the United States
Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC players
Memphis 901 FC players
2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup players