Shawn-Claud Lawson

Shawn-Claud Lawson
Personal information
Full name Shawn-Claud Nicholas Lawson
Date of birth (1994-01-13) 13 January 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Simcoe County Rovers
Youth career
1998–2005 Ajax SC
2005 North Scarborough SC
2006–2007 Feyenoord
2007–2009 Pickering SC
2009–2012 Ajax SC
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2015 Oakland Golden Grizzlies 78 (8)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2014 Detroit City 12 (4)
2015 Des Moines Menace 8 (1)
2016 Michigan Stars 12 (2)
2017 Detroit City 14 (7)
2017 Durham United FA 4 (1)
2018 Detroit City 12 (6)
2018 Darby FC 3 (0)
2019–2020 Detroit City 17 (13)
2021 Atlético Ottawa 8 (0)
2022– Simcoe County Rovers 61 (16)
International career‡
2011 Jamaica U17 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 2 September 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 June 2021

Shawn-Claud Nicholas Lawson (born 13 January 1994) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Simcoe County Rovers in League1 Ontario. Born in Canada, he represented Jamaica at youth international level.

Early life

Lawson was born in Scarborough, Ontario, the son of former Jamaican national team player Jimmy Lawson.[1][2] As an infant, he had an open heart surgery after the doctors had discovered a leaking valve.[1] Lawson started playing youth soccer at the age of three with Ajax SC.[3] He briefly played for North Scarborough SC and also trained with Dutch club Feyenoord's academy in 2006 and 2007.[4] He later played for Pickering FC, where he was invited to attend trainings with English clubs Luton Town and Birmingham FC after attending a soccer camp led by Canada national team player Paul Peschisolido.[5] He was part of the U15 Ontario provincial program.[3] Afterwards, he returned to Ajax SC helping lead them to the 2011 Canada national U-18 championship, in which he scored the game-winning goal.[3]

College career

In 2012, he began attending Oakland University, playing for the Oakland Golden Grizzlies on a scholarship, after having interest from Clemson, North Carolina, Bucknell, Harvard, Colgate, Michigan, and the University of Cincinnati.[3] He scored 8 goals in 78 appearances and won back-to-back Horizon League titles in 2014 and 2015.[6]

Club career

In 2013, during the college off-season, he joined NPSL club Detroit City FC.[7][8] He played 19 total matches between 2013 and 2014.[9] He scored the 2014 NPSL Goal of the Year.[10]

In 2015, he joined PDL club Des Moines Menace, scoring his first goal and collecting his first assist on June 26 against the Springfield Synergy FC.[11][12]

In 2016, he played for NPSL club Michigan Stars FC.

For the 2017 season, he re-joined Detroit City, leading them in scoring in 2017 with nine goals across all compeititons,[13] also winning the NPSA Northwest Region Championship in 2017.[14]

After the NPSL season, he joined Durham United FA in League1 Ontario.[15]

The next year, he again returned to Detroit City, where he led the team in scoring in 2018 once again with eight goals across all compeititions.[16] He also had a training stint with USL club Ottawa Fury FC in 2018.[17]

In late 2018, Lawson played for League1 Ontario side Darby FC, making three appearances in August and September of that year.[18]

He returned to Detroit City in 2019. On July 7, he scored a hat trick in a 3-1 victory over AFC Ann Arbor.[19] He scored another hat trick on August 6 in the club's annual cross-border exhibition against Canadian club Windsor TFC.[20] In 2019, he set the club record with 19 goals in a single season, being named the DCFC Black Arrow Award winner as team MVP.[21] With the club, he won the NISA Fall Tournament Championship.[14] He departed the club after the 2020 season as the club's all-time leading scorer with 51 goals across all competitions.[14]

On 29 April 2021, Lawson returned to Canada, signing with Canadian Premier League side Atlético Ottawa.[22] After the season, Ottawa elected not to exercise its contract option on Lawson.[23]

In February 2022, Lawson signed with Simcoe County Rovers of League1 Ontario.[17] He scored six goals, appearing in all 21 of the team's regular season matches and two playoff appearances in 2022.[24] After winning the league championship with the team in 2023, he re-signed for the 2024 season.[25]

International career

He first joined the Jamaica in 2010,[1] later playing for them at the 2011 CONCACAF U-17 Championship, making two appearances in the group stage against Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala, and a third appearance in the third-place match against the Panama.[26] He was subsequently called-up for the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup, where he made one appearance against Japan.[26]

References

  1. ^ a b c Walker, Howard (January 13, 2011). "J'can lineage fuels fire in U-17 player". Jamaica Observer.
  2. ^ Edwards III, James L. (June 14, 2019). "What constitutes a good goal scorer? Just watch Detroit City FC's Shawn Lawson". The Athletic.
  3. ^ a b c d Kelly, Brad (August 6, 2012). "Ajax's Shawn Claud Lawson off to Oakland University". Oshawa This Week.
  4. ^ McGill, Aldwyn (2012). Jamaica Football: Reggae Boyz History. Caribbean Stars Inc. p. 27.
  5. ^ "Two teens set for soccer overseas". Oshawa This Week. July 21, 2008.
  6. ^ Benhin, Eddie (April 29, 2021). "Lawson looking to bring offence to Atletico Ottawa". Capital City Supporters Group.
  7. ^ Jacques, John (April 29, 2021). "Atletico Ottawa Inks Striker Shawn-Claud Lawson". Northern Tribune.
  8. ^ Goode, Andrew (February 7, 2014). "Roster Analysis: February 2014". Boys in Rouge.
  9. ^ Folsom, Brandon (May 5, 2017). "Detroit City FC back home at Keyworth Stadium for preseason finale". Detroit Free Press.
  10. ^ Goode, Andrew (May 2, 2017). "Season Preview 2017: Forwards". Boys in Rouge.
  11. ^ "Menace continue their strong week against Springfield". Des Moines Register. June 26, 2015.
  12. ^ "Menace keeps Kup; Chill is next up". Des Moines Menace. June 26, 2015.
  13. ^ Goode, Andrew (April 26, 2018). "Season Preview 2018: Forwards". Boys in Rouge.
  14. ^ a b c "Atlético Ottawa adds Canadian forward Shawn-Claud Lawson". Canadian Premier League. 29 April 2021.
  15. ^ "Shawn Claud Lawson 2017 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  16. ^ Goode, Andrew (May 8, 2019). "Season Preview 2019: The Team". Boys in Rouge.
  17. ^ a b Jacques, John (February 15, 2022). "'League1 Super Team': Simcoe County Rovers Land Shawn-Claud Lawson". Northern Tribune.
  18. ^ "Shawn Lawson 2018". League1 Ontario. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  19. ^ Kitchen, Michael (July 7, 2019). "July 7, 2019: at AFC Ann Arbor (CPSL Regular Season)". Do Haeng.
  20. ^ O'Connor, Larry. "Shawn Lawson's hat trick lifts Detroit City FC to exhibition win over Windsor before 6,083". The Detroit News.
  21. ^ Ryan, Nicholas (April 29, 2021). "Atlético Ottawa Signs Canadian Striker Shawn-Claud Lawson". Atlético Ottawa.
  22. ^ Baines, Tim (April 29, 2021). "Atletico Ottawa adds Canadian striker Shawn-Claud Lawson". Ottawa Sun.
  23. ^ "Atlético Ottawa: 2022 Roster Update". Atlético Ottawa. 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  24. ^ "Shawn Claud-Lawson 2022 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  25. ^ "'Eyes on the next prize': Rovers ink core players for new season". Barrie Today. January 19, 2024.
  26. ^ a b "S. Lawson". Soccerway. Retrieved 30 April 2021.