In Canada, it is simply called the “flowery city”. We are talking about Brampton. A city of just under half a million people, just west of the great city of Toronto.

This is where Jayden Nelson started his journey into European football.

– I grew up with a single mother. She sacrificed a lot for me to be here today. It’s something I will never forget. My grandfather made me start playing football when I was four years old. He still gives me advice to this day. It was a great trip, Jaydon Nelson told TV 2.

The charismatic Canadian meets TV 2 in front of the RBK players’ hotel in Marbella. His big hair flutters in the Spanish wind, while the cheerful youngster smiles from ear to ear.

It was a nice trip. But the trip could easily have had a different destination.

– I was in danger of being dragged into the wrong environment at one point, because of the people I was hanging out with. I don’t want other people to experience where I come from and what I’ve been through, Nelson says.

Crime and poverty

Because when he was growing up in the early 2000s, it happened in one of Brampton’s toughest neighborhoods.

And it happened without the presence of a father.

– He left quite early in my life. It’s bittersweet, but it’s something that happens in life and I just have to adapt. It made me a better man, says Nelson, who credits his mother for making him who he is today.

– There was a lot of crime and poverty, but my mother always made sure that we had clothes and that there was food on the table. I have never had any difficulties. She means everything to me. Everything she sacrificed and did for me… she’s a great woman. She means a lot to me.

Along with his mother Pethroina Vidal, his grandfather Owen Campbell was also instrumental in getting Nelson on the bright side of life.

– He loved the game and he taught me to love it. Without him, I don’t know how far I would have gone in football, so I owe him a big thank you.

Canadian Marcus Rashford

Over the past few years, Nelson has worked his way up the ranks of MLS team Toronto, where he ended up with 45 games.

It also gave the Canadian player the opportunity to contribute off the football pitch.

– I created a food program for the elementary school I attended when I was little. Every month, I give them a sum of money which is used to feed the children who don’t have much. It’s something that means a lot to me and something that I believe is bigger than football. I thank God for the opportunity to help them, says Nelson.

– The Canadian Marcus Rashford?

– Haha, you could say that, laughs Nelson, knowing the work the Manchester United player has done for children and young people in England.

The meal plan at Copeland Public School is something Nelson is still working on. He will do it as long as he can.

– It’s easy, because I know where I come from. Mom always taught me to treat people the way I want them to treat me. I know I wish someone could help me when I was younger. Having this opportunity now is fantastic.

Friend of Bayern Munich

But to be able to keep clearing ground, Nelson depends on his performance on the green turf.

It is also the theater of the greatest dreams of the young person.

– You don’t often hear about players from Canada, so the fact that people like Alphonso Davis, Jonathan David and Tajon Buchanan are doing great things in Europe is something we all admire. This is where we want to get to one day. This is also what motivated me to go to Rosenborg. I want to be like them, so I can lead the way for those who come after me,” Nelson explains.

The Brampton striker can say he has a good friendship with the Bayern Munich profile. The left-back is known, among other things, for his enormous speed. In this context, Nelson makes an offensive statement.

– He is fast, so I can say a little slower than Alphonso. Only a little. Maybe we’re just as quick. I put the list at the top, Nelson laughs, before adding:

– I have never raced against him, but I know him. I have known him since I was at my first national team meeting at 17 years old. It’s probably been three years now.

Ronaldinho (Eliteserien)

There’s reason to believe it can be a lot of fun for Rosenborg supporters with Jayden Nelson on the pitch.

Kjetil Rekdal has been following the Canadian for almost two years and the 54-year-old is full of praise for her new husband.

– It is an artist. He is an agile player. He has a playful style, is very fast and is good with both feet. He has a good starting point. We can’t wait to let him go, says the RBK boss.

Rekdal’s description is probably also consistent with what Nelson himself wants.

As simple as that, he flips the ball over his forehead, kisses it, before smiling:

– Ronaldinho of Norwegian football.

Because that’s exactly what he wants to be. Mischievous. Humble. Just like the tattoo on his arm, which says “humble beast”. And just like the favorite player.

– That’s one of the reasons for the hair, laughs Nelson, before continuing:

– He always played with a smile on his face. Every time he received the ball, everyone wondered what he was going to do with it. That’s what I like about him. His competences. When I was younger, I watched highlights of him on YouTube. Then I went straight to practice whatever he was doing. I’ve always loved him, says Nelson, who promises RBK fans can expect entertainment when he steps onto the court.

This part of him probably comes from both Ronaldinho’s inspiration and his Jamaican ancestry.

– There’s a lot of dancing and good vibes in Jamaican culture, and I feel that’s something I bring to the fans when they see me perform. You’re on the edge of your seat when you see me play, so I think it fits well with Jamaican culture, he concludes with a smile.