The hilarious saga of Derek Cornelius is, undeniably, one for the ages. Born on some nondescript day of 25 November 1997 in the blustery climes of Canada, the lad chose the astoundingly original position of a central defender, where he primarily plays for Rangers. Now, wouldn't that be just the number to endear himself to the Celtic faithful? He's made this choice at a height of 6ft 2in (1.88m) and a braw weight of 13st 7lb (86kg), sporting the number 13 jersey as if daring the superstitions to have a go at him. Cornelius has also apparently found the time to represent the Canada national team, unsurprisingly as a defender.
It was in January 2017, the young lad made the first daring leap of his career and transferred from Neumünster in the Regionalliga Nord in Germany to Javor Ivanjica in the SuperLiga in Serbia. Not even a full two years later, he zipped his suitcase yet again and joined Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS in USA. With 36 first team appearances and a solitary goal within the span of three seasons, it seemed reasonable to suggest that the lad was at least trying.
Clearly underwhelmed with the USA, Cornelius made a short detour to Panetolikos in the Super League in Greece on a loan spell in July 2021. A total of 42 appearances and a couple of goals later, the lad found himself transferred to Malmo FF in Allsvenskan in Sweden in January 2023. It can only be assumed that a sudden change in weather preference prompted this curious move.
Undeterred by previous pit-stops, he wasted no time joining Marseille in the Ligue 1 in France in August 2024. The French got to enjoy his defensive 'prowess' through 23 performances in the league spread across two seasons. All this for a fee of around £3.4m which I certainly hope was justifiable.
Soon, in September 2025, he landed in Scotland, signing a loan deal with Rangers - a move that's certainly earned him a warm welcome around these parts. Currently playing the 2025 - 2026 season, he's graced the pitch seven times and even placed the ball in the net once, presumably without using his hands. He's also taken part in competitions like the League Cup 2025 - 2026 for Rangers, Gold Cup 2025 for Canada, Copa America 2024 for Canada, and Europa League 2025 - 2026 for Rangers. Hope the journey's been thrilling for him, as it's been for us.
