Nicolas Jackson (born 20 June 2001) is a 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 striker for club Chelsea and the Senegal national team. Jackson played for Casa Sports in Senegal before joining

Villarreal Villarreal (officially, in ) is a city and municipality in the province of Castellón which is part of the Valencian Community in the east of Spain. The town is located at 42 m above sea level, 7 km to the south of the province's capital ( ...

in 2019. After a loan to Mirandés in the

Segunda División The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Segunda División, commonly known as Segunda División or La Liga 2, and officially known as LaLiga HyperMotion for sponsorship reasons, is the men's second professional association football division of the Spa ...

, he broke through in the

reserve team In sports, a reserve team is a team composed of players who are under contract to a club but who do not regularly play in matches for the club's primary team. Reserve teams usually include players who are part of the larger first-team squad but ...

and made his first-team debut in

La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...

in 2021. In 2023, he signed an eight-year deal at Chelsea for a reported fee of £32 million. Jackson made his senior international debut for Senegal in 2022. He was chosen for the

2022 FIFA World Cup The 2022 FIFA World Cup was the 22nd FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...

and the

2023 Africa Cup of Nations The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, known in short as the 2023 AFCON or CAN 2023 and for sponsor (commercial), sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, was the 34th edition of the biennial Africa Cup of Nations tournam ...

Early life

Nicolas Jackson was born in

Banjul Banjul (, (US) and ), officially the City of Banjul, is the capital city of The Gambia. It is the centre of the eponymous administrative division which is home to an estimated 400,000 residents, making it The Gambia's largest and most densely ...

The Gambia The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...

, in 2001, to a Gambian father and

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

ese mother. In 2017, in the aftermath of the

2016 Gambian presidential election Presidential elections were held in The Gambia on 1 December 2016. In a surprise result, opposition candidate Adama Barrow defeated long-term incumbent Yahya Jammeh. The election marked the first change of presidency in The Gambia since a mili ...

, the family moved to

Ziguinchor Ziguinchor (; ; ) is the capital of the Ziguinchor Region, and the chief town of the Casamance area of Senegal, lying at the mouth of the Casamance River. It has a population of 214,874 (2023 census). It is the eighth largest city of Senegal ...

, Senegal.

Club career

Early career

Jackson began playing for local side ASC Tilene before joining Casa Sports, where he was a part of the first team squad during the 2018–19 season. He was also named

man of the match In team sport, a player of the match award (also known as man of the match or woman of the match) is often given to the most outstanding player in a particular match. This can be a player from either team, although the player is generally chose ...

in a 1–1

Ligue 1 Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de ...

draw against

AS Pikine Association Sportive de Pikine or simply AS Pikine is a Senegalese football club based in Pikine. They play at Stade Al Djigo, Stade Alassane Djigo, which has a capacity of 10,000. History The earlier club was established in 1921 and was called ...

on 16 November 2018.

Villarreal

In September 2019, Jackson agreed to a contract with

side

, being assigned to the ''Juvenil A'' squad.

Loan to Mirandés

On 5 October 2020, Jackson was loaned to

side Mirandés for the 2020–21 season. He made his professional debut thirteen days later, coming on as a second-half substitute for Antonio Caballero in a 0–0 home draw against

Mallorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest of the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain, and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, seventh largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. The capital of the island, Palma, Majorca, Palma, i ...

. Jackson scored his first professional goal on 28 November 2020, netting the opener in a 1–1 home draw against Castellón. It was his only goal of the season as the ''Jabatos'' finished in 10th place.

Breakthrough

Upon returning, Jackson played for Villarreal's B-team in

Primera División RFEF Primera may refer to * Nissan Primera, a car * Primera Air, a former airline * Primera división (disambiguation), multiple top division football leagues * Primera, Texas, a town in Cameron County, Texas * Alí Primera Ely Rafael Primera Ros ...

, scoring seven goals as the side achieved promotion to the second division. He made his first team – and

– debut on 3 October 2021, replacing Arnaut Danjuma late into a 2–0 home win over

Real Betis Real Betis Balompié, known as Real Betis () is a Spanish professional association football, football club based in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. It plays in La Liga, the Spanish football league system, top flight of Spanish football. It plays home ...

. Jackson scored his first goal in the top tier on 13 August 2022, netting the opener in a 3–0 away win over

Real Valladolid Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D., or simply Real Valladolid (), is a Spanish professional List of football clubs in Spain, football club based in Valladolid, Castile and León that will compete from the 2025–26 season in the . The club ...

. Thirteen days later, he and teammate

Álex Baena Alejandro "Álex" Baena Rodríguez (born 20 July 2001) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left winger or attacking midfielder for La Liga club Villarreal and the Spain national team. Club career Baena was born in Roquetas ...

were promoted to the main squad. In January 2023, Villarreal agreed a £22.5 million deal from

AFC Bournemouth AFC Bournemouth ( ) is a professional association football club based in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The club compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. ...

for the signing of Jackson but he failed his medical due to

hamstring A hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in human anatomy between the hip and the knee: from medial to lateral, the semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris. Etymology The word " ham" is derived from the Old ...

issues. After returning to action in March, he scored nine goals within the months of April and May, which included braces against

Celta Vigo Real Club Celta de Vigo (; ), commonly known as Celta Vigo, is a Spanish professional football club based in Vigo, Galicia, that competes in La Liga, the top tier of Spanish football. Nicknamed ''Os Celestes'' (The Sky Blues), the club was foun ...

Athletic Bilbao Athletic Club (; ), commonly known as Athletic Bilbao (), or simply Athletic, is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in the city of Bilbao in the Southern Basque Country, Basque Country, Spain. They are known ...

and

Cádiz Cádiz ( , , ) is a city in Spain and the capital of the Province of Cádiz in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. It is located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula off the Atlantic Ocean separated fr ...

Chelsea

On 30 June 2023, Jackson signed for

Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...

club Chelsea on an eight-year deal through 2031 for a fee reported to be £32 million. On 13 August, he made his debut for the club in a 1–1 draw against

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

in the Premier League. Jackson scored his first Chelsea goal on 25 August 2023 against newly promoted side

Luton Town Luton Town Football Club is a professional association football, football club from Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The club currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Nicknamed "The Hatters", L ...

, helping Chelsea to a 3–0 win at Stamford Bridge. On 6 November, Jackson scored twice in second-half stoppage time to complete a

hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...

in a 4–1 away win over

Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...

. He scored again in the next match against

Manchester City Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...

, which ended in a 4–4 home draw. On 15 April 2024, Jackson scored his tenth Premier League goal of the season as well as providing an assist for

Cole Palmer Cole Jermaine Palmer (born 6 May 2002) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or Winger (association football), winger for club Chelsea F.C., Chelsea and the England national football te ...

in a 6–0 win over Everton. As Palmer had already reached double digits in league goals, this became the first Chelsea season since 2017–18 in which two players had scored ten or more Premier League goals in a season. On 5 May 2024, Jackson scored twice and provided an assist for Palmer in a 5–0 home win over

West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...

. Jackson scored 14 league goals across 35 appearances, making him to make him the second highest African goal scorer in the 2023–24 season only behind Liverpool's

Mohamed Salah Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahrous Ghaly (, ; born 15 June 1992), also known as Mo Salah, is an Egyptian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a right winger or Forward (association football), forward for club Liverpool F.C., L ...

. On 13 September 2024, Jackson signed a two-year contract extension with Chelsea, extending his contract until 2033. Jackson won the Premier League Goal of the Month award for October 2024 for the opening goal of a 2–1 win over

Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...

on 27 October. On 1 May 2025, Jackson scored a brace in the first leg of the Conference League semi-final which ended in a 4–1 away win over

Djurgården Djurgården ( or ) or, more officially, , is an island in central Stockholm, Sweden. Djurgården is home to historical buildings and monuments, museums, galleries, the amusement park Gröna Lund, the open-air museum Skansen, the small resident ...

. He was later sent off on 11 May for a deliberate elbow in a Premier League match against

. Later that month, on 28 May, he netted the second goal for Chelsea in a 4–1 win over

in the 2025 UEFA Conference League final. A month later, on 20 June, he was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge just four minutes after coming on as a substitute in a 3–1 loss to

Flamengo Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (; ), more commonly referred to as simply Flamengo, is a Brazilian multi sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, in the neighborhood of Gávea. It was founded and named after the Flamengo, Rio de Janeiro, Flamengo n ...

during the

2025 FIFA Club World Cup The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (officially known as the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, also marketed as FIFA Club World Cup 25) is the 21st edition and the first of the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, an international club soccer competition organized ...

International career

Jackson represented

at under-20 level, receiving his first call-up in November 2018. After being called up to the full side by manager Aliou Cissé for two friendlies in September 2022, Jackson was included in the 26-man list for the

on 11 November 2022. He made his full international debut in Senegal's opening match of the competition, replacing Krépin Diatta in a 2–0 loss against the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

. In December 2023, Jackson was named in Senegal's squad for the postponed

held in the

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest List of ci ...

. He came on as a substitute in all four games as the defending champions made it to the last 16. On 11 October 2024, Jackson scored his first international goal, concluding a 4–0 home win over

Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...

in 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification.

Career statistics

Club

International

:''Senegal score listed first, score column indicates score after each Jackson goal.''

Honours

Chelsea *

UEFA Conference League The UEFA Conference League (UECL), usually known simply as the Conference League, is an annual football competition organised since 2021 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It is the thir ...

: 2024–25 *

EFL Cup The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England. Orga ...

runner-up: 2023–24 Individual *

La Liga Player of the Month The Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best La Liga player each month of the season. Winners Multiple winners The following table lists the number of awards won by players who have won at least two Player ...

: May 2023 * Premier League Goal of the Month: October 2024 *

BBC Goal of the Month The Goal of the Month is a monthly segment on BBC's ''Match of the Day'' television programme, in honour of the best goal scored each month. The segment has been featured on the programme since the 1970–71 season. Typically, a selection of ei ...

: October 2024

References

External links

Profile
at the Chelsea F.C. website * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Nicolas 2001 births Living people Footballers from Banjul Senegalese men's footballers Gambian men's footballers 21st-century Gambian sportsmen Gambian emigrants to Senegal Senegalese people of Gambian descent Men's association football forwards Ligue 1 (Senegal) players Casa Sports players La Liga players Segunda División players Primera Federación players Premier League players Villarreal CF B players CD Mirandés footballers Villarreal CF players Chelsea F.C. players UEFA Conference League–winning players Senegal men's youth international footballers Senegal men's international footballers 2022 FIFA World Cup players 2023 Africa Cup of Nations players Senegalese expatriate men's footballers Senegalese expatriate sportspeople in Spain Senegalese expatriate sportspeople in England Gambian expatriate men's footballers Gambian expatriate sportspeople in Spain Gambian expatriate sportspeople in England Expatriate men's footballers in Spain Expatriate men's footballers in England 21st-century Senegalese sportsmen