During this season, the 21-year-old center back has made 12 appearances for Oxford United, four of which were under Rowett.
Nelson’s season has been hampered by a serious quad injury, but the defender has impressed with United.
Despite having a cramp in the last moments of Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Sheffield United at home, Nelson continued to play since the U’s had already substituted every player.
“I’m proud of the team,” stated Rowett, the head coach of United. A young player named Ben Nelson experienced a cramp that lasted for six or seven minutes.
“He just needs to get started. We’ve made all of our subs. It’s football for males. To achieve the three points, you must put in the effort and do everything it takes.
“He has a bright future ahead of him,” Rowett continued. It’s a terrific learning curve for him to play games like this where he has to understand that you just have to put in the effort, compete against somebody like Kieffer Moore, and learn from your mistakes.
That’s the problem. In these games, you can play incredibly well for eighty-eight minutes, but if you make even one mistake, the game is finished.
“I think his performance was impressive. He experienced a cramp at the end, but these are the things that help a young player develop perseverance and belief.
