Reiss Luke Nelson ( ; born 10 December 1999) is an English 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 ...

who plays as a winger for

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...

club

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

Early and personal life

Nelson was born in

Elephant and Castle The Elephant and Castle is an area around a major road junction in London, England, in the London Borough of Southwark. The name also informally refers to much of Walworth and Newington, due to the proximity of the London Underground station ...

, London He grew up in

Aylesbury Estate The Aylesbury Estate is a large housing estate located in Walworth, South East London. The Aylesbury Estate contains 2,704 dwellings, spread over a number of different blocks and buildings, and was built between 1963 and 1977. There are approxi ...

in Walworth and attended the

London Nautical School The London Nautical School (LNS) is an 11–18 foundation secondary school for boys and mixed sixth form in Blackfriars, Greater London, England. It was established in 1915. History The London Nautical School was established in 1915 in re ...

. He became friends with fellow aspiring footballer

Jadon Sancho Jadon Malik Sancho (born 25 March 2000) is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger for club Manchester United and the England national team. Widely regarded as one of the best young players in the world, he is known for his ...

, who lived nearby, after they played together in youth tournaments.

Club career

Arsenal

Nelson joined the

Arsenal academy The Arsenal Academy was a military academy in Columbia, South Carolina, originally established in 1842 as an independent school by the state of South Carolina. In 1845, the academy became a component of the South Carolina Military Academy (now T ...

when he was nine years old and made a great impression on youth coaches, regularly being moved up to squads above his age group. He played 35 games for the Arsenal youth teams, including nine games in the U-21 team, in the 2016–17 campaign. Following several impressive performances in the youth teams, he signed his first professional contract with

on 10 December 2016, his 17th birthday.

Arsène Wenger Arsène Charles Ernest Wenger (; born 22 October 1949) is a French former football manager and player who is currently serving as FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development. He was the manager of Arsenal from 1996 to 2018, where he was the l ...

included Nelson in the squad for 2017–18 pre-season tour.

2017–20: First-team debut and FA Cup win

On 19 July 2017, Nelson made his first senior appearance against Bayern Munich in a 2017 International Champions Cup pre-season match. He made his first competitive appearance for Arsenal's first team in the Community Shield, coming on as a substitute against Chelsea – Arsenal went on to win 4–1 on penalties. On 14 September 2017, Nelson made his European debut as he came on as a substitute for

Theo Walcott Theo James Walcott (born 16 March 1989) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Southampton and previously for the English national team. Walcott is a product of the Southampton Academy and started his career with ...

at the 82nd-minute mark in the

Europa League The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...

match against FC Köln. He made his first start for the club against

Doncaster Rovers Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team compete in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club play their home games at T ...

in the

League Cup In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...

on 20 September 2017. Reiss had an impressive season with the Arsenal U23 squad, scoring 9 goals, assisting 3 in 11 appearances as Arsenal won the 2017–18 PL2. On 20 January 2018, Nelson made his

debut in a 4–1 win against Crystal Palace, coming on as a substitute in the 72nd minute. On 8 April 2018, he made his first Premier League start in a 3–2 win over

Southampton Southampton () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire, S ...

, being substituted off in the 64th minute for Jack Wilshere. On 17 May 2018, Nelson was awarded the PL2 Player of the Year. After a successful season on loan, Nelson returned to Arsenal ahead of the

2019–20 Premier League The 2019–20 Premier League was the 28th season of the Premier League, the top English professional football league, since its establishment in 1992, and the 121st season of top-flight English football overall. The season started on 9 August ...

season. He was promoted to the first team by manager Unai Emery and given the number 24. Nelson was handed his first two starts of the season in Arsenal's opening games against

Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional Association football, football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football league system, English football. The club was ...

and

Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River ...

. On 24 September 2019, Nelson started and played the full 90-minute of Arsenal's 5–0

EFL Cup The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by th ...

victory against

Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...

. He scored his debut goal for the first team, adding a fourth for Arsenal in the 84th minute. He was out with a knee injury during the months of October and November. He made his return on 9 December, coming off the bench for a short cameo in a 3–1 win over

. Nelson scored his second goal of the season on 6 January, in Arsenal's 1–0 home win over

Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road ...

in the

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competit ...

. Nelson suffered a hamstring strain in mid-January, making his return off the bench on 7 March, in a 1–0 win over

West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium ...

. After the three-month suspension of the

due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

, Nelson often was Mikel Arteta's favoured attacking substitute. On 15 July 2020, Nelson scored his first Premier League goal, starting in a 2–1 win against

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

. Nelson was in the squad as Arsenal won their 14th FA Cup against Chelsea on 1 August 2020. On 29 August 2020, Nelson came on as a substitute, taking and scoring the first penalty in a

shootout A shootout, also called a firefight or gunfight, is a fight between armed combatants using firearms. The term can be used to describe any such fight, though it is typically used to describe those that do not involve military forces or only in ...

win against Liverpool in the Community Shield after the game ended 1–1.

2018–19: Loan to 1899 Hoffenheim

On 31 August 2018, Nelson signed a long-term contract with Arsenal, then went on season-long loan at German club

1899 Hoffenheim Turn- und Sportgemeinschaft 1899 Hoffenheim e.V., or simply TSG 1899 Hoffenheim or just Hoffenheim () is a German professional football club based in Hoffenheim, a village of Sinsheim municipality, Baden-Württemberg. Originally founded in 1899 ...

for a loan fee of €500,000. On 15 September 2018, he made his debut as a 72nd-minute substitute away to

Fortuna Düsseldorf Düsseldorfer Turn- und Sportverein Fortuna 1895 e.V., commonly known as Fortuna Düsseldorf (), is a German football club in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, which competes in the 2. Bundesliga. Founded in 1895, Fortuna entered the league ...

, and within 14 minutes of entering the field of play, Nelson scored for Hoffenheim, scoring a consolation goal for the club in a 2–1 loss. Reiss had an impressive season for Hoffenheim, scoring 7 goals in just 587 minutes of action at such a young age. Hoffenheim's coach

Julian Nagelsmann Julian Nagelsmann (born 23 July 1987) is a German professional football manager and former football player who is the head coach of Bayern Munich. Prior to managing Bayern, he managed 1899 Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig. Known for his versatility w ...

orchestrated the move for Nelson, calling him "...an incredible player in one-on-one situations". He also hailed Nelson's talent, claiming "he had the abilities to reach the levels of elite players in football such as

Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés Messi (; born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the ...

Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains the Portugal national team. He is currently a free agent. Widely regarded as one of the greatest p ...

Arjen Robben Arjen Robben (; born 23 January 1984) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a winger. He was known for his dribbling skills, speed, ball control and long-range shots. Robben is regarded as one of the best players of his gen ...

fhe maintained his consistency and mentality".

2021–22: Loan to Feyenoord

On 31 August 2021, Nelson moved on loan to the Netherlands to join

Eredivisie The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is ...

side

Feyenoord Feyenoord Rotterdam () is a Dutch professional football club in Rotterdam, which plays in the Eredivisie, the top tier in Dutch football. Founded as Wilhelmina in 1908, the club changed to various names before settling on being called after its ...

for the 2021–22 season. Nelson got his first assist during injury time for the club on 7 November 2021 against

AZ Alkmaar Alkmaar Zaanstreek (), better known as AZ Alkmaar or simply AZ (), is a Dutch professional football club from Alkmaar and the Zaan district. The club plays in the Eredivisie, the highest professional football league in the Netherlands, and hos ...

after coming on as a substitute.

2022–23: Return to Arsenal

On 30 October 2022, he scored a brace and registered an assist in his first Premier League match of the season in a 5–0 win over

after coming on as a substitute for Bukayo Saka. He came on as a substitute in the 69th minute against

Bournemouth Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the English ...

on 4 March 2023, and assisted Ben White's 70th minute equalizer before scoring Arsenal's winner with the last kick of the game as the ''Gunners'' came back from 2–0 down to win 3–2 and regained their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League over chasers

Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The two ...

on matchday 26.

International career

Nelson has played for England youth teams, at all levels from under-16 to under-21. In May 2016, Nelson was part of the

England national under-17 football team The England national under-17 football team, also known as England under-17s or England U17(s), represents England in football at an under-17 age level and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football in England. ...

that reached the quarter-finals of the 2016 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, playing four games and scoring three goals. His performances during the competition led to his inclusion in the team of the tournament. In March 2018, Nelson scored twice for

England under-19 England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

against

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...

in a qualifier for the

2018 UEFA European Under-19 Championship The 2018 UEFA European Under-19 Championship (also known as UEFA Under-19 Euro 2018) was the 17th edition of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship (67th edition if the Under-18 and Junior eras are included), the annual international youth foot ...

. He was one of a number of players withdrawn from selection for the tournament by their club. On 11 October 2018, Nelson made his U21 debut against

Andorra , image_flag = Flag of Andorra.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Andorra.svg , symbol_type = Coat of arms , national_motto = la, Virtus Unita Fortior, label=none ( Latin)"United virtue is str ...

, coming on as a second-half substitute; he scored the ''Young Lions sixth goal with a backheel in stoppage time in a 7–0 victory that secured qualification for the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Although also eligible for

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

, Nelson specified in 2018 that he aimed to play for England in the long term, saying that playing for England would be "a dream come true". On 27 May 2019, Nelson was included in England's 23-man squad for the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship and scored from the penalty spot in his only appearance; a 3–3 draw with

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

at the

San Marino Stadium The Stadio Olimpico di San Marino (or Stadio Olimpico di Serravalle) is a multi-purpose stadium in Serravalle (San Marino), Serravalle, San Marino. First opened in 1969, it is currently used mostly for Association football, football matches. It ...

on 24 June 2019.

Career statistics

Honours

Arsenal *

: 2019–20 *

FA Community Shield The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup. If the Premier L ...

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in ...

Feyenoord *

UEFA Europa Conference League The UEFA Europa Conference League (abbreviated as UECL) is an annual football club competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. Clubs qualify for the competition based on the ...

runner-up: 2021–22 Individual *

UEFA European Under-17 Championship The UEFA European Under-17 Championship or simply UEFA Under-17 Championship, is an annual Association football, football competition contested by the European men's under-17 national teams of the member associations of UEFA. Spain national under ...

Team of the Tournament: 2016 *

Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footbal ...

Rookie of the Month: October 2018

References

External links

Profile
at the Arsenal F.C. website
Profile
at the Football Association website {{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Reiss 1999 births Living people People from Elephant and Castle Footballers from the London Borough of Southwark English footballers England youth international footballers England under-21 international footballers Association football midfielders Arsenal F.C. players TSG 1899 Hoffenheim players Feyenoord players Premier League players Bundesliga players Eredivisie players English expatriate footballers Expatriate footballers in Germany Expatriate footballers in the Netherlands English expatriate sportspeople in Germany English expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands Black British sportsmen English people of Zimbabwean descent