To mark 15 December and the 15th day of our Chelsea Advent series, here are some facts you might not know about the Blues' No15, striker Nicolas Jackson.
Now in his second season with the Blues, Jackson has become a popular figure among team-mates and supporters, having started all but one of our Premier League fixtures this season under head coach Enzo Maresca and registered 25 goals in his 59 appearances for the club so far.
On 15 December, we've picked out some lesser-known facts about our No15...
Jackson caught the eye quickly. After playing just 15 minutes on his debut in regional football for Senegalese club Tilene, their fans had already nicknamed him Neymar.
His first game in top-flight football came at the age of just 17 in the Senegalese Ligue 1, representing Casa Sports of Ziguinchor.
However, it wasn’t until he moved to Spain with Villarreal and went on loan at Mirandes that Nico got his first taste of professional action, coming off the bench in midfield in the second tier. He made an instant impact there too, with a foul on him almost instantly after being introduced resulting in a red card for Mallorca’s Joan Sastre, in a 0-0 draw.
Jackson left Spain as the country’s in-form player, being named as La Liga’s Player of the Month in May 2023 after a run of nine goals in eight games for Villarreal.
The striker’s first goal for Chelsea contributed to some club history, arriving in both the Blues’ first-ever Premier League win over Luton Town and the first win in that competition during Mauricio Pochettino’s time as head coach.
When Jackson found the net in last season’s 6-0 win over Everton it had added significance. It was his 10th in the league over the campaign, meaning Chelsea had two players in double figures for Premier League goals for the first time since 2017/18, Cole Palmer being the other.
Nico’s 14 Premier League goals in his debut season in English football made him the second-highest scoring African in the Premier League, behind only experienced campaigner Mohamed Salah.
Jackson’s senior international debut came on the biggest stage of them all, making his first appearance for Senegal as a substitute in their opening match of the 2022 World Cup, a 2-0 loss to the Netherlands in Qatar.
So rapid was Jackson’s rise in the sport, that he went from playing street football in Africa to starring up front for Chelsea in the Premier League in the space of just six years.
Nico has the benefit of advice from someone who knows west London well. His agent and mentor Diomansy Kamara, who he first worked with at Casa Sports in Senegal, spent seven years in English football, four of them with our neighbours Fulham.
Our striker was handed his top-flight debut in European football by then Villarreal boss Unai Emery. The Spaniard may regret that now, as Jackson has scored in our last two victories over Emery’s current Aston Villa side.
Jackson was in good company when he made his Chelsea debut at the start of the 2023/24 season, being one of six Blues debutants in our 1-1 draw with Liverpool, alongside Robert Sanchez, Axel Disasi, Lesley Ugochukwu, Malo Gusto and Levi Colwill.
It doesn’t seem to be lost on Jackson that Chelsea fans will always adore a player who does well in derbies against Tottenham Hotspur. His record against our London rivals so far reads three games, three wins and four goals, including his first hat-trick for the club.
The 23-year-old marked his 50th appearance for Chelsea in style by netting a brace in a 5-0 win over West Ham United, making it an impressive four goals for the Senegal international in his first five Premier League matches of 2024/25.
Jackson has proved vital to finding the breakthrough in Premier League matches this season. He has already opened the scoring in six different matches in that competition in 2024/25. No other Chelsea player has done so more than once yet.