Name: Simeon Jackson
Born: March 28, 1987, in Kingston, Jamaica
Hometown: Mississauga, Ont.
Position: Forward
Pro club: Norwich City
Why is he in the news?: The Canadian international scored his first Premiership goal in Norwich’s 2-2 draw with Wolves on Tuesday. A minute after coming into the game as a second-half substitute, Jackson timed his run perfectly, scoring on a tap-in of a Steve Morison cross played into the box.
Clubs played for: Jackson began his pro career in 2004 with Rushden & Diamonds in England’s lower leagues. He made the jump from the Football Conference to League Two when he signed with Gillingham in 2008. It was with the Gills that he first shot to fame, helping the club get promoted to League One. Jackson landed in the Championship when he joined Norwich City in 2010. After scoring just four goals through the first 33 games, Jackson came good during the business end of the season, scoring nine goals in seven matches – including the goal that sealed the club’s return to the Premiership for the first time since 2005.
International career: Jackson was born in Jamaica but he grew up in Ontario, so there was little doubt which country he would represent when the time came for him to declare his international allegiance. Jackson played for the Reds at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup staged in Canada. He made his senior team debut in a friendly against Cyprus in May of 2009, scoring the lone goal in a 1-0 win. He’s appeared in the last two CONCACAF Gold Cups and was voted Canadian player of the year in 2009. Jackson has six goals in 25 appearances for the national team.
Here’s a few interesting facts: Jackson’s goal on Tuesday means that he has scored in five different English divisions in five consecutive seasons (Football Conference, League Two, League One, Championship and Premiership). He is also the first Canadian national team member to score in the Premier League since David Edgar (playing for Newcastle United) scored against Liverpool on Dec. 28, 2008. Jackson has made more appearances for the national team than any other player since Stephen Hart took over the coaching job on a full-time basis in 2009. Simeon has appeared in 24 of Canada’s last 25 matches — he only missed one friendly away to Jamaica in January of 2010 which featured a largely experimental squad.