In Profile: Curtis Nelson – Blog

Central defender Curtis Nelson became the latest addition to the Derby County dressing room on Friday afternoon after agreeing to join the Rams on a two-year deal.

The 30-year-old centre-back becomes the fourth permanent signing of the Paul Warne era at Pride Park Stadium and brings with him bags of experience and leadership.

Here’s a little more about our new signing…

Career Beginnings…

Born on 21st May 1993, Nelson’s football career began as a schoolboy in Stoke-on-Trent with Stoke City.

He spent seven years with the Potters before being released as a teenager in 2009.

Not to be discouraged, Nelson only spent two months without a club before being picked up by Plymouth Argyle and this is where his football career really kicked on.

His performances during his first season in the Argyle youth set-up saw him earn rave reviews and earned him a place in the matchday squad of the first-team on the final day of the 2009/10 season.

The following campaign, 2010/11, he made his first professional appearance, coming on as a second-half substitute in a League Cup tie against Notts County and then just weeks later was awarded his first ever professional contract.

Kicking On…

Following the signing of his first ever professional contract, Nelson began to really kick on throughout the campaign and went on to make 37 appearances in all competitions.

It was a great achievement at such a young age and his performances saw him catch the eye of the Young Lions. He was called up to the England Under-18 squad to play Italy in the April and made his debut in the second half of that game.

Unsurprisingly, he was awarded Argyle’s Young Player of the Year award upon conclusion of his first season with the club.

After a second season that was unfortunately derailed by injury, Nelson signed a new contract in the April of 2012 and kicked on once more in 2012/13, scoring his first ever goal in professional football in the September.

In April 2013, at just 19-years-old, Nelson became the youngest Plymouth Argyle captain since Norman Piper in 1967 – an honour which he then kept hold of until his departure in 2016.

He also captained Plymouth in their Play-Off Final defeat against AFC Wimbledon in May 2016 and was named in the PFA League Two Team of the Season for the 2015/16 campaign.

Next Stop, Oxford…

After an incredible 246 appearances for Plymouth, Nelson made the move to newly promoted Sky Bet League One side Oxford United in the summer of 2016.

Like his time with Argyle, it took just one season for him to be handed the armband in Oxfordshire when he was made captain following the departure of midfielder John Lundstram.

During his first season with the U’s, he helped them reach Wembley in the EFL Trophy final where they were narrowly edged out 2-1 by Coventry City.

The central defender spent three seasons with Oxford and made 121 appearances for the club, scoring eight times.

Championship Mainstay…

After declining the offer of a new contract with Oxford, Nelson signed for Cardiff City following their relegation from the Premier League in 2019.

The move would mark the first time that the central defender had played his football as high as the second tier but it’s a move he took to like a duck to water.

The Championship is where the now 30-year-old Nelson remained until this summer.

For three-and-a-half years he remained with Cardiff and racked up an impressive 127 appearances with the Bluebirds, where he also featured in their Play-Off campaign in 2020, before having a short stop-over in Blackpool last term.

He joined the Tangerines on a short-term deal in January 2023 after having his contract mutually terminated in Wales and featured in all but one game in the second half of the season before moving on at the end of the campaign.

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