Bishop Auckland Born in
Gateshead,
Tyne and Wear, Nelson started his playing career as a semi-professional, playing for
non-League teams such as
Spennymoor United,
Leek Town and
Bishop Auckland. He was at
Portsmouth for two-and-a-half years but then manager
Alan Ball released him because of financial restrictions. During his time at Bishop Auckland, Nelson became a first team regular, making forty–eight appearances and scoring two times in all competitions. Nelson's performances attracted the attention of League clubs who sent scouts to watch him. Nelson was given a trial at
Hartlepool United but he was not offered a contract by manager
Chris Turner.
Bury However Nelson was offered a contract at
Bury by manager
Andy Preece after Bury scout Peter Ward convinced him to give Nelson a chance. Immediately after joining the club, he was called up to the first team. On 27 April 2001, Nelson quickly made an impact on his Bury debut when he "struck a sweet half volley into the top corner", in a 1–1 draw against
Wycombe Wanderers. Nelson made his second appearance for the club in the last game of the season, in a 3–1 loss against
Brentford. Ahead of the 2001–02 season, manager
Andy Preece offered Nelson a new contract. On 2 August 2001, he signed a two–year contract with the club. On 18 August 2001, Nelson scored his first goal of the season, in a 2–1 loss against
Queens Park Rangers. Teammate
Steve Redmond praised his performance, describing him as "an old fashioned centre half and he'll keep learning all the time and hopefully he'll progress throughout the season." Nelson gradually became a first team regular, forming a centre–back partnership with either Redmond or
Danny Swailes. On 8 September, however, Nelson suffered what he described as "the worst injury of his career" after suffering a collapsed lung and several cracked ribs following an accidental collision with goalkeeper
Paddy Kenny, in a 2–1 loss against
Wigan Athletic. Nelson had to have a drain inserted into his chest for several days while he was hospitalised. The injury threatened to keep him out for three months but Nelson was able to resume training less than three weeks later. After being out for a month, he made his return from injury, coming on as a 79th-minute substitute, in a 3–1 loss against
Cambridge United on 13 October 2001. Following a 5–1 loss against Brentford on 23 October, his performance, along with
Georgios Syros came under heavy criticism by manager Andy Preece. Despite this, Nelson continued to be in the first team and signed a two–year contract extension with the club on 13 February 2002. Nelson suffered a hamstring injury that saw him ruled out throughout March. On 1 April, he returned to the starting line–up from injury and helped Bury win 2–0 against
Brentford. On 15 April, however, Nelson was unable to help the club avoid relegation to Division Three after losing 3–1 against
Colchester United. During his first full season at Bury, Nelson managed to play 30 of the club's 46 league matches, scoring twice in the process. At the start of the 2002–03 season, Nelson was initially dropped from Bury's first-team squad, but he quickly regained his first team place, forming a defensive partnership with
Danny Swailes. On 5 October, Nelson scored his first goal of the season, scoring from a header, in a 3–1 loss against
Southend United. On 18 January, he suffered a knee injury during a 0–0 draw against
Boston United and did not play for the rest of the month. On 4 February, Nelson returned to the starting line–up from injury and helped the club win 2–1 against Cambridge United. He was appointed as Bury's captain and his performances earned him the respect of the club's players and fans. On 26 April, he scored his fifth goal of the season, in a 2–1 win against
Southend United, a win that earned Bury a spot in the
play–offs. During that season, Bury manager Andy Preece hailed Nelson as "the best centre-half in Division Three". However, Bury failed to gain promotion to Division Two as the club missed out during the play-offs following their 3–1 loss on aggregate against
Bournemouth. His second season turned out to be even more successful as he played in 40 of Bury's 46 league matches, scoring five goals. For his performance, Nelson won all four of the club's Player of the Season awards, including Player of the Year Awards. He also won Bury's Player of the Month for January and March along the way.
Hartlepool United Following the conclusion of the 2003–04 season, Nelson was offered the chance to play in a higher division by several Division One clubs. On 27 June 2003, he joined
Hartlepool United on the same day that
Neale Cooper was appointed manager for a fee of around £70,000. Upon joining the club, manager Cooper said he expected Nelson to "be a major star for Hartlepool United" next season, describing him as "a very commanding and is a big strong lad" and "can get up and down the pitch and is dominating in the air". Cooper also believe "that he will get better and better with every game". Nelson was seen as a replacement for
Graeme Lee who had joined
Sheffield Wednesday. He was given the number five shirt ahead of
the new season. Nelson started strongly for Hartlepool when he scored the winner from 30 yards during his debut in the club's 4–3 win over
Peterborough United. This goal was nominated for Hartlepool's Goal of the Season. Nelson began to form a strong partnership with
Chris Westwood and the pair played together for the majority of the club's matches. His performances saw him voted as the September Player of the Month. He helped the club keep three consecutive clean sheets in the league between 28 December 2003 and 17 January 2004. Nelson started in all matches until receiving a suspension for accumulating five yellow cards. On 27 March, however, Nelson suffered a leg injury and was substituted, in a 2–1 loss against Brentford. On 24 April 2004, he made his return from a four-week absence, coming on as a 75th-minute substitute in a 2–0 win against
Rushden & Diamonds. On the last game of the season, Nelson played in the 1–1 daw against
Swindon Town which earned Hartlepool a
play–off position. After regaining his fitness due to a knock, he played in both legs of the club's play-off semi-final match against
Bristol City, as Hartlepool lost 3–2 on aggregate. Nelson was in contention for Hartlepool's Fans and Players' Player of the season but he missed out to
Jim Provett on both occasions. During the 2003–04 season, Nelson made 48 appearances, scoring three times in all competitions. At the start of the 2004–05 season, the partnership between Nelson and Westwood was praised by manager Cooper. He started in every matches until missing one match for picking up five yellow cards so far this season. However, Nelson failed to maintain this through to the season and he handed in a transfer request. His agent claimed that he had been "promised" a better deal. This triggered a feud with Hartlepool chairman
Ken Hodcroft, who criticised Nelson and his agent. Nelson was missing in several of Hartlepool's matches at the beginning of December and was rumoured to be signing for
Hull City for a fee of around £100,000. However, Nelson withdrew his transfer request and was reinstalled into the starting line-up against
Wrexham on 18 December 2004. On 27 November, he scored his first goal of the season, scoring from a header, in a 3–2 win against Bournemouth. Amid the transfer saga and another injury concern, Nelson went back into the starting line-up for the rest of the season. In the last game of the season, Nelson helped Hartlepool draw 2–2 against Bournemouth to earn their place in the
play-offs. He played in both legs of the semi–finals against
Tranmere Rovers which Hartlepool eventually won 6–5 on penalties. In the
League One play-off final against Sheffield Wednesday, Nelson started the match, as Hartlepool United loss 4–2 in front of a crowd of 59,808 at the
Millennium Stadium. During the 2004–05 season, he made 56 appearances, playing every league match that season, scoring once in all competitions. Ahead of the 2005–06 season, Nelson signed a new three-year contract that would tie him to the club until 2008 after Hartlepool made an improved offer, ending months of speculation over his future. Following the departure of his centre–back partner Westwood, he formed a new partnership with
Neill Collins at the start of the season. On 15 October, however, Nelson received his first red card for Hartlepool after he retaliated and elbowed
Jack Lester during the club's 2–0 defeat against
Nottingham Forest. In an FA Cup first round match against
Dagenham & Redbridge, he scored his first goal of the season in a 2–1 win. Nelson continued to form a centre–back partnership with either Collins or
Ben Clark. He then scored two goals in two matches against Nottingham Forest and Brentford with the club hoping to avoid relegation. However, Hartlepool were relegated on the last game of the season after drawing 1–1 against Port Vale. His 2005–06 season did not impact his season despite being out on four occasions along the way. Nelson went on to make 47 appearances and score three times in all competitions. At the start of the 2006–07 season, Nelson mostly played alongside Ben Clark in central defence. Nelson was also given the captain's armband in the absence on
Michael Barron. He helped Hartlepool United keep five consecutive clean sheets. On 26 December 2006, Nelson suffered medial ligament injuries in his left knee and was substituted in the 33rd minute, in a 2–0 win against
Grimsby Town. On 6 January 2007, he made his return to the starting line–up, in a 1–1 draw against
Shrewsbury Town. However, his return was short–lived when Nelson picked his fifth yellow card of the season, triggering a suspension. On 27 January 2007, he made his return to the starting line–up from suspension, and helped the club kept a clean sheet, in a 1–0 win against his former club, Bury. Despite his absence, Nelson was nominated and won League Two's Player of the Month for January. On 10 February 2007, he scored his first goal of the season, scoring from a header, in a 3–1 win against
Walsall. Following his return from injury, Nelson continued to play a major part in Hartlepool's 18 game unbeaten run. On 9 April 2007, he started the whole game and helped keep a clean sheet in a 1–0 win against
Accrington Stanley, resulting in Hartlepool United earning promotion back to League One. On 28 April 2007, however, he suffered a medial knee ligament damage and was substituted in the 31st minute, in a 2–0 loss against
Rochdale. His injury caused him to miss the last game of the season, where the club finished in second place in the league following a 2–1 loss against
Bristol Rovers. During the 2006–07 campaign, Nelson made forty–nine appearances, scoring once in all competitions. For his performance, he shared the Players' Player of the Year award with
Gary Liddle. Nelson was also named in the PFA
League Two Team of the Year for the 2006–07 season, alongside teammates
Ritchie Humphreys and
Andy Monkhouse. Ahead of the 2007–08 season, Nelson was linked with a move away from Hartlepool although he ultimately remained at the club. Nelson scored two more goals by the end of the year, coming against
Crewe Alexandra and
Leeds United. He also continued to be a stand-in captain in absence of Barron. Nelson also started in every league matches until he missed a match against
Cheltenham Town on 16 February 2008, due to suspension. On 1 March 2008, he started the whole game in his 200th league appearances for the club, losing 2–0 against Bournemouth. During the 2007–08 season, Nelson made fifty–one appearances, scoring two times in all competitions. With his contract expiring at the end of the 2007–08 season, he was signed a contract extension with Hartlepool, keeping him with the club for another season. On 25 November 2008, he scored his first goal of the 2008–09 season, in a 1–1 draw against Bristol Rovers. With his contract expiring at the end of the 2008–09 season, Nelson was linked with a move to
Leicester City in the January transfer window, but manager
Danny Wilson dismissed suggestions of the player leaving Hartlepool United. On 3 January 2009, he scored his second goal of the season, in a 2–0 win against Premier League side
Stoke City in the third round of the FA Cup. On 24 January 2009, Nelson was penalised for handball, resulting in a penalty, in a 2–0 loss against Premier League
West Ham United in the fourth round of the FA Cup. After the match, Nelson criticised referee
Lee Mason for his decision, calling it "a killer for us right on half-time". He scored two goals in two matches between 28 February 2009 and 3 March 2009 against Colchester United and Tranmere Rovers respectively. On 27 March 2009, Nelson started the whole game in his 300th appearance for the club, in a 3–2 loss against Southend United. Despite having seven stitches in a head wound sustained during Hartlepool's loss against Leeds United, Nelson passed fit and started the match against Bristol Rovers on the last game of the season, as the club lost 4–1 but nevertheless avoided relegation. Throughout the 2008–09 season, he made fifty–five appearances (having played every league matches that season) scoring six times in all competitions. For his performance, Nelson was awarded Hartlepool United's away Player of the Year. With his contract expiring at the end of the 2008–09 season, Nelson was offered a new contract by the club. By June, the chances of the player staying was "receding", with clubs, such as, Hibernian, Scunthorpe United and Norwich CIty were interested in signing him. On 15 June 2009, it was reported by
The Northern Echo that he had rejected a new contract offer and was expected to leave the club.
Norwich City On 19 June 2009, Nelson agreed to join
Norwich City, who had just been relegated to
League One, on a two-year deal once his contract expired at Hartlepool at the end of June. He made his debut for the club and conceded seven goals in a 7–1 opening-day thrashing at the hands of Colchester United. Nelson did not play for the next five matches for Norwich City. He did not play for the first team again until the game against his former club Hartlepool United later in August, in which he scored an overhead kick to score his first goal for the club and put the Canaries on course for a 2–0 win at
Victoria Park. On 14 September 2009, however, Nelson suffered a heel injury and was substituted in the 60th-minutes, in a 2–1 loss against
Milton Keynes Dons. After the match, it was announced that he would be out for a month. On 24 October 2009, he returned from injury, coming on as a late substitute, in a 1–0 win against
Swindon Town. Nelson established himself as a regular starter following an injury to teammate
Jens Berthel Askou in December. He subsequently formed a strong central defensive partnership with
Gary Doherty as the Canaries surged up the
League One table, overhauling runaway leaders
Leeds United in the process. On 17 April 2010, Nelson scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory at
Charlton Athletic which secured Norwich City's return to the
Championship at the first attempt. His performance throughout April earned him the League One Player of the Month for April. Throughout the 2009–10 season, he made 36 appearances, scoring three times in all competitions. In his second season, Nelson scored his fourth goal against
Watford in a 3–2 loss in Norwich City's first match of the season. On 21 August 2010, however, Nelson suffered ankle injury during a 2–0 win against
Swansea City. The injury saw him out for three months. By November, Nelson made his return to training after a recovery from ankle injury. On 18 December 2010, Nelson returned to the first team for the first time in three months, staring the whole game, in a 2–1 win against
Coventry City. Nelson scored his fifth and last goal for Norwich against
Sheffield United in a 4–2 win in a follow–up match. Following his return from injury, Nelson was targeting the first team but was deemed surplus to requirements by Canaries boss Paul Lambert as Lambert favoured
Elliott Ward and
Leon Barnett as their first choice centre backs.
Scunthorpe United Nelson left the Canaries on deadline day in January 2011 for an undisclosed fee, joining
Scunthorpe United, just an hour from the deadline. On 5 February 2011, he made his debut for The Iron, starting the whole game, in a 5–1 defeat to Hull City. On 30 April 2011, he started in the club's 5–1 defeat to
Nottingham Forest that saw the club relegated to League One. During the 2010–11 season, Nelson made twenty appearances in all competitions for Scunthorpe. In the opening game of the 2011–12 season, Nelson scored his first goal for Scunthorpe United in a 1–1 draw against Wycombe Wanderers. However, he soon lost his first-team place and found his playing time, coming from the substitute bench. Scunthorpe's poor form continued and at the end of 2011, the club was just above the relegation zone to League Two. In January 2012, Nelson was strongly linked with move away from Scunthorpe following a restructuring programme at the club. By the time he left the club in January, Nelson had made sixteen appearances, scoring once in all competitions.
Kilmarnock On 14 January 2012, Nelson signed for Scottish Premier League side
Kilmarnock on a two-and-a-half-year contract. Upon joining the club, manager
Kenny Shiels described new signing Nelson as 'quality' and expected the player to be a good asset in the second half of the season. Shortly joining Kilmarnock, Nelson revealed that then Norwich City manager
Paul Lambert made a recommendation of him to join the club. On 28 January 2012, he made his debut for Kilmarnock, starting the whole game in the central defence position, in a 1–0 win against
Ayr United in the semi–finals of the Scottish League Cup to help the club reach
the final. Since joining Kilmarnock, Nelson quickly established himself in the first team, forming a centre–back partnership with
Mohamadou Sissoko. On 18 March 2012, he played in the
Scottish League Cup final, which the club won after beating
Celtic 1–0. On 28 April 2012, Nelson scored his first goal for the club in a thrilling 4–3 victory over
Inverness Caledonian Thistle. During the 2011–12 season, Nelson made eighteen appearances, scoring once in all competitions. On 28 August 2012, Nelson scored his first goal of the 2012–13 season in the second round of the Scottish League Cup, in a 2–1 loss against
Stenhousemuir. On 27 October 2012, his partnership with O'Leary was praised by the Scottish media following their performances, in a 2–0 win against Celtic. By the time Nelson left Kilmarnock in January, he had made 23 appearances, scoring twice in all competitions. During his time at the club, Nelson began to take up coaching lessons in hopes of becoming a manager one day.
Bradford City 's victory in the
Football League Two play-off final. On 15 January 2013, Nelson agreed to join
Bradford City on an 18-month deal for an undisclosed fee. Upon leaving Kilmarnock, manager
Kenny Shiels was asked about Nelson's departure by the
Daily Record and said that he wanted to be close with his children and described his departure as a "big loss". On 2 February 2013, Nelson made his debut for the club, starting the whole game in a 2–2 draw away to
Fleetwood Town. Nelson lost his first-team place in the starting eleven and was placed on the substitute bench towards the end of the season. However, he regained his first team place in the club's four remaining matches of the 2012–13 season and helped Bradford City earn a place in the
League Two play-offs. Nelson appeared an unused substitute as the club won promotion to
League One by winning the
Football League Two play-off final following a 3–0 victory against Northampton Town. During his time at Bradford City, he made fifteen appearances in all competitions.
Hibernian On 1 August 2013, Nelson signed a two-year deal with
Scottish Premiership side
Hibernian, moving from Bradford City for a nominal transfer fee. Upon joining the club, manager
Pat Fenlon said that Nelson is a player that he wanted to include, citing "his experience in the league with four qualities to Hibernian – size, physicality, experience and leadership". On 19 October 2013, however, he sustained eye injury after an aerial clash with
Amido Baldé during a 1–1 draw against
Celtic. As a result, Nelson was out for a month. On 2 January 2014, he set up a goal for
James Collins to break the deadlock after 61 minutes to the match, in a 2–1 win against
local rival,
Hearts. He also captained a number of matches for Hibernian towards the end of the season. In the
Premiership play–off final against
Hamilton Academical, he played in both legs, as the club were relegated to the Scottish Championship, losing on penalties following a 2–2 draw on aggregate in both legs. Throughout the 2013–14 season, Nelson made 37 appearances in total, scoring three times in all competitions. Ahead of the 2014–15 season, Nelson's future at Hibernian was in doubt following the club's relegation to the Scottish Championship. Amid this speculation, he made two appearances for the club. During 2–1 loss against
local rivals, Hearts on 17 August 2014, Nelson received an elbow in the face by
Osman Sow that saw him sent–off, but he quickly recovered. He subsequently left Hibernian after agreeing to terminate his contract mutually.
Cambridge United On 26 August 2014, Nelson signed a one-year contract with
League Two side
Cambridge United shortly after agreeing mutual termination with his previous club
Hibernian. On 30 August 2014, he made his debut for the club, starting the whole game, in a 5–0 win against
Carlisle United. Two weeks later on 13 September 2014, Nelson scored his first goal for Cambridge United, in a 3–2 win against
Dagenham & Redbridge. During the 2014–15 season, Nelson made forty appearances, scoring three times in all competitions. On 6 May 2015, the club did not offer him a new deal when his contract expired.
Barnet Nelson impressed during a trial at
Barnet during pre-season and signed a one-year deal on 3 August 2015. Upon joining the club, he was reunited with
Martin Allen, whom he knows during their time at Portsmouth. On 11 August 2015, he made his debut for Barnet, starting a match in a 2–1 win against
Millwall in the first round of the League Cup. Since joining the club, Nelson found himself in and out of the starting line–up, which saw him placed on the substitute bench. On 19 December 2015, however, he suffered a dislocated shoulder injury and was substituted at half time, in a 4–2 win against
Crawley Town. Initially, Nelson was given all clear with a shoulder injury, but he was out for three months. On 13 February 2016, Nelson scored on his return from injury, in a 2–0 win against Dagenham & Redbridge. Following his return from injury, he regained his first team place, playing in the centre–back position, but his form later dipped towards the end of the season and was placed on the substitute bench. During the 2015–16 season, Nelson made 32 appearances, scoring once in all competitions. On 25 May 2016, he signed a one–year contract extension with Barnet. Ahead of the 2016–17 season, Nelson was appointed as the new captain of Barnet following the departure of
Andy Yiadom. On 15 March 2017, Nelson scored his first goal of the season - an equalising header, in a 2–2 draw against
Yeovil Town on 15 March 2017. Since the start of the 2016–17 season, Nelson started in every match until he was dropped to the substitute bench for three matches during April. On 22 April 2017, Nelson returned to the starting line–up and helped the club keep a clean sheet, in a 2–0 win against his former club, Hartlepool United. In his second season at Barnet, Nelson made 46 appearances, scoring once in all competitions. On 1 June 2017, he signed a new deal at the end of the season and extended his contract into a third year in summer 2017, as well as, taking up a role as the club's under-23 team coach. At the start of the 2017–18 season, Nelson continued to fight for his first team place in the centre–back position, as well as, regaining his captaincy. On 13 January 2018, he made his 100th appearance for Barnet, losing 2–0 against Crawley Town. Following the appointment of
Graham Westley as head coach, Nelson was appointed as his assistant for the first team. He previously coached the club's U23 side between September and March. But Nelson returned to playing duties following the appointment of
Martin Allen and on 30 March 2018, he made his first appearances for Barnet in two months, starting a match and played 77 minutes before being substituted, in a 2–1 win against Crewe Alexandra. However, Nelson was unable to help the club avoid relegation despite winning their last three league matches of the season. Throughout the 2017–18 season, he made 29 appearances in all competitions. Barnet claimed to have offered Nelson a new contract at the end of the 2017–18 season, but this was disputed by Nelson himself.
Chesterfield Nelson signed a one-year deal with
Chesterfield on 22 May 2018. Upon joining the club, manager
Martin Allen said: "Michael is a very old player with great experience and good knowledge. He is a leader of men, and he knows how to win games. He is as fit as a butcher's dog, and he is a great man to work with." Nelson made his debut for Chesterfield, starting the whole game, and helped the club keep a clean sheet, in a 1–0 win against
Ebbsfleet United in the opening game of the season. By October, he was dropped from the starting eleven squad and did not play for three months. On 4 December 2018, Nelson was placed on a transfer list by manager Allen. But on 26 December 2018, he made an appearance for Chesterfield against
Solihull Moors, only to come off in the 9th minute of a 4–0 loss, in what turned out to be his last appearance for the club. Following this, Nelson spent the rest of the 2018–19 season, combining his role as Chesterfield player with coaching staff duties. In total, he made thirteen appearances in all competitions. Shortly after, Nelson was released by the club.
Gateshead In the summer of 2019, Nelson signed for his home town club,
Gateshead, as a player-coach. On 10 August 2019, he made his début for the club, starting a match and played 67 minutes before being substituted, in a 0–0 draw at
AFC Telford United. On 1 September 2019, Nelson scored his first goal for Gateshead, in a 2–0 win against
Brackley Town. During his time at the club, he made thirteen appearances, scoring once in all competitions. ==Coaching career==