Ryan Lee Nelson

Durham did not point obviously toward Norwegian football, but that is where Ryan Nelson's career took shape. He left England in 2017 for Valdres, spending two seasons in the third tier before a move to Gjøvik-Lyn in 2019. There he became a key player as the club won promotion to the Post Nord-ligaen in 2021, and he stayed on for two more years.

In August 2023, Nelson signed for Raufoss Fotball on a two-and-a-half-year contract. He went on to make 75 appearances for the club, scoring 13 goals. That form led to a move to Sweden in January 2026, when he joined IFK Norrköping on a free transfer, agreeing a three-year deal running to the end of 2028.

Nelson is left-footed and has been used both centrally in midfield and out wide; Swedish media have described him as a right winger, while his club has listed him as a forward at times. His path to professional football began at Deerness Valley, a grassroots club in his home area, before the move abroad set his career in motion.