Simeon Jackson

Simeon Alexander Jackson (born March 28, 1987) is a former professional soccer player who is an academy coach at Chelmsford City.

He has spent the majority of his career playing in England, relocating from Mississauga, Ontario, to South London as a teenager to pursue his interest in football.

Following a rejection by Gillingham after a trial, he played semi-professionally before making his name with Rushden & Diamonds of the Football Conference.

Jackson joined Rushden & Diamonds in 2004 and was the club's top scorer in the 2006–07 season, scoring 20 goals.

The next season, he was top scorer for the Diamonds in the league, scoring 16 goals, despite leaving for Gillingham in January.

He was joint eighth top scorer in the league that season.

In 2005, he had trials with Manchester United and Manchester City.

Jackson went on a one-month loan to Raunds Town in December 2005.

When he left the Diamonds he had established himself as the club's eighth highest goalscorer, scoring 43 goals in just over 100 games in all competitions.

His goalscoring feats for the club earned him a move to Gillingham, then of League Two, in 2008.

In January 2008, Jackson signed with Gillingham, a club he had a trial with as a youth player, for a transfer fee of £150,000 on a three-and-a-half-year contract.

He made his debut against Cheltenham Town on February 2, 2008.

He scored both goals as Gillingham beat Rochdale in the 2008–09 play-off semi final, and the 90th-minute winner in the 1–0 win against Shrewsbury Town in the final, as Gillingham returned to League One one year after relegation.

He scored the winning goal for the club in the 2009 League Two Play-Off Final at Wembley Stadium.

Born in Jamaica, Jackson has played for the Canada national team since 2009.

On January 4, 2009, Jackson scored an equalizing goal for Gillingham in their 2–1 FA Cup third round defeat by Aston Villa.

Jackson made his first start in the Premier League on November 26 in a 2–1 victory over Queens Park Rangers, this was the first time a Canadian international had started in the Premier League since David Edgar on May 24, 2009 with Burnley.

Jackson scored his first Premier League goal on December 20 against Wolverhampton Wanderers when he converted a Steve Morison cross one minute after being subbed on.

Jackson came on as a second half sub against Fulham on December 31 and scored the game tying goal in second half injury time to earn a 1–1 home draw.

In 2010 Jackson was transferred to Norwich City, then of the Championship, and scored the goal that clinched Norwich's promotion to the Premier League the following year.

Jackson signed for Norwich in July 2010, signing a two-year contract with the club, with the option for another year, in a deal which saw striker Cody McDonald move to Gillingham on loan.

He was given the number 10 jersey upon his arrival at the club and made his debut in a 3–2 home loss to Watford on August 6, 2010.

He scored his first goal for the club against Swansea City on August 21.

Manager Paul Lambert often used Jackson as an impact substitute due to the form and partnership of Grant Holt and Chris Martin.

Jackson was given a start against Bristol City, and scored a brace, with a goal in each half at Ashton Gate.

Jackson started the next four games again, in favour of Martin.

He scored his fourth goal of the season in the 1–0 win over Middlesbrough on October 23.

After a few months of mostly coming in as a substitute again, on April 2, 2011, Jackson scored his first hat-trick for Norwich, coming on as a substitute and scoring three times in the last twenty minutes of the match against Scunthorpe United at Carrow Road.

He went on to score the goal that clinched Norwich's promotion to the Premier League, a late winner against Portsmouth.

Jackson made his Premier League debut on August 21, 2011, as a second-half substitute for Chris Martin in the second game of the season against Stoke City, the game finished with a Kenwyne Jones stoppage time header which resulted in a 1–1 home draw for Norwich.

Following his Premier League debut, Jackson began to struggle finding minutes in the team, he did not play a minute of football in the league until October 1 as a second half sub against Manchester United.

He fell out of favour at the club during the 2012–13 season, and opted to join German club Eintracht Braunschweig who were newly promoted to the Bundesliga.

Desiring regular playing time, his contract with the German club was mutually terminated in January 2014 and he returned to England with Millwall.

During qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup he scored a hat-trick against Saint Lucia.

Jackson started his career with his local team in Canada, Sunoco FC.

He was invited to have trials with Gillingham, but was rejected by the club.

At the age of 15, he moved to England and lived with his grandmother in Croydon, South London.

While playing for Dulwich Hamlet, Jackson worked at McDonald's to sustain his move to England.

After spells with Coventry City, Barnsley, Blackburn Rovers, Walsall and Grimsby Town, Jackson signed for Scottish club St Mirren in September 2018.

He then joined another Scottish club, Kilmarnock, in October 2019.