Junior Hoilett

Hoilett was named to the final 23-man squad for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup on May 20, 2019. He scored in victories over Martinique and Cuba – each breaking the record for the country's biggest win in the competition – as the Canadians advanced to the quarter-finals.

Hoilett was named Canada's captain for the first time in a CONCACAF Nations League match against Cuba on September 7, 2019. He scored 3 goals in a 6–0 victory. In doing so, he became the third Canadian player in 2019 to record a hat-trick against Cuba; following Jonathan David and Lucas Cavallini.

On 26 June 2018, Hoilett signed a three-year contract in the Welsh capital. He scored his first Premier League goal since 2012 in a 2–1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on 30 November, which BBC Sport called a "fabulous first-time effort from 25 yards".

The 2017–18 season saw Hoilett's most productive season, finishing the season with 12 goals, including goals against former club, Queens Park Rangers and a brace against Mansfield Town in the FA Cup, as Cardiff finished 2nd, gaining promotion to the Premier League. Hoilett was offered a new contract following the club promotion.

Following the appointment of Neil Warnock as manager, Hoilett signed with Cardiff City on 6 October 2016, becoming Warnock's first signing at the club. His debut came on 14 October, against severnside rivals, Bristol City. Hoilett scored his first goal for Cardiff during a 3–2 victory over Huddersfield Town on 19 November 2016. He went on to score one more goal before signing a one-year contract extension in May 2017.

Hoilett made his senior international debut for Canada in 2015. He was part of their squad at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2017 and 2019.

Hoilett officially declared for Canada in September 2015, prior to the fourth round of CONCACAF 2018 World Cup Qualifying. He received his first international cap in a 1–1 draw against Ghana on 13 October 2015 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. He officially got cap-tied to Canada after starting for Canada in a 2018 World Cup Qualification match against Honduras. Hoilett was named to Canada's squad for the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup on June 27, 2017, and scored his first international goal in the quarterfinal, a 2–1 defeat to eventual finalists Jamaica on July 20.

Hoilett scored his first goal of the 2013–14 Football League Championship season in a 1–1 draw with Huddersfield Town. Four months later, he scored his second goal of the season in a comfortable 3–0 win over AFC Bournemouth at Loftus Road. Hoilett grabbed an assist for the only goal of the game, when he crossed for Bobby Zamora to score in the 89th minute in QPR's 1–0 victory over Derby County at Wembley Stadium in the 2014 Football League Championship play-off Final to gain promotion back to the Premier League after an absence of one season. After failing to agree a new contract with QPR at the end of the 2015–16 season, Hoilett left the club following the expiry of his contract.

In January 2012, Hoilett was named one of the 13 players to watch in 2012 by world football governing body FIFA.

After refusing a contract renewal with Blackburn Rovers, Hoilett joined Queens Park Rangers on 27 July 2012 for a fee decided by tribunal. He signed a four-year contract. He scored his first goal for QPR in a 3–2 League Cup defeat to Reading on 26 September 2012. On 2 March 2013, Hoilett set-up teammate Loïc Rémy and played a crucial part in a 2–1 win over Southampton. A combination of injuries and poor form meant that Hoilett had a frustrating first season at QPR, which resulted in relegation to the Football League Championship.

Hoilett scored his first league goal on 23 January 2011 in a 2–0 home victory against West Bromwich Albion at Ewood Park, converting in the 47th minute from a Nikola Kalinić assist. On 12 February 2011, he made his 40th Premier League appearance for Blackburn when he featured against Newcastle United at Ewood Park in a goalless draw, and was replaced at half-time due to a slight hamstring strain by Morten Gamst Pedersen. On 5 March, he scored his third goal of the season in a 3–2 defeat against Fulham in the 65th minute, away at Craven Cottage. He replaced by debutant Rubén Rochina on 82 minutes. His next goal came in the following game, a last gasp equaliser coming from a header against Blackpool at Ewood Park in a 2–2 draw. On 9 April 2011, he scored in the 1–1 draw versus Birmingham City at Ewood Park on half-time, but he unfortunately got injured in the 68th minute, being replaced by Australian Brett Emerton.

He scored his fifth league goal of the season with an individual goal, in a 3–2 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux Stadium on the last day of the season. On 11 September 2011, in a game between Blackburn and Fulham, he was involved in a collision with Mark Schwarzer which resulted a head injury for Hoilett. He was eventually stretched off and Schwarzer received a yellow card. Hoilett scored a controversial second's goal in a match as Blackburn drew with Wigan Athletic 3–3 after teammate Morten Gamst Pedersen seemed to dribble the ball straight from a corner before firing in a low cross for Hoilett to head home from two yards.

In the 2011–12 season, Hoilett had the most dribbles per game among all Premier League players.

Hoilett was eligible to play for Canada or Jamaica at international level. In February 2011, he rejected a call-up from the Canadian national team, stating that he wanted more time to develop his club career before committing to international football. In January 2012, Jamaica Football Federation president Horace Burrell confirmed that he had approached the player's father about Hoilett representing Jamaica, with his father keen for him to represent the Caribbean nation. In March 2012, Hoilett told various media bodies that he would consider playing for England if eligible.

Hoilett made his first Premier League appearance of the 2010–11 season on 21 August 2010 by coming on for Nikola Kalinić in the 84th minute in a 2–1 defeat at St Andrew's against Birmingham City.

He scored his first goal of the 2010–11 season in the 1–0 victory over Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup third round.

After impressing in a youth tournament, he signed for English club Blackburn Rovers at the age of 13, and was loaned to SC Paderborn and FC St. Pauli in the German 2. Bundesliga due to work permit issues. He made his Rovers debut in 2009 and played three full Premier League seasons for them before a transfer to Queens Park Rangers in 2012. Hoilett spent four years at the Loftus Road club – alternately in the Premier League and Championship – before moving to Cardiff on the expiration of his contract. In his second season with Cardiff, he helped the side win promotion to the Premier League by finishing as Championship runners-up during the 2017–18 season.

In January 2009, Hoilett's home club Blackburn again applied for him to receive a work permit for him to play football in England. In the summer of 2009, Hoilett was granted a work permit on appeal, allowing him to continue his fledgling career in England at the Premier League level with Blackburn. Blackburn chose not to send him to a third loan spell in Germany, rejecting an approach from Mainz 05.

After impressing during the club's pre-season schedule, he made his debut for Blackburn in the opening day of the 2009–10 season as a late substitute in place of El Hadji Diouf during a 2–0 defeat to Manchester City. He was named in the starting line-up for the team's following match and scored his first competitive goal for Rovers in a 3–1 League Cup win over Gillingham on 25 August 2009. His performances in the early stages of the campaign prompted the club to open talks over a contract extension as Hoilett was in the final year of his original deal. Hoilett was involved in Blackburn's dramatic League Cup win against Chelsea on 2 December 2009. Coming on as a second half substitution, he won an extra-time penalty which Benni McCarthy converted to put Rovers 3–2 up, before Paulo Ferreira equalised in the 122nd minute. However, Hoilett converted the fifth penalty to help Rovers to a 4–3 shootout win and a place in the semi-finals. He then started his first league match on 12 December 2009 against Hull City, playing the full 90 minutes in a 0–0 draw at the KC Stadium. On 25 February 2010, with his contract due to expire in June 2010, Hoilett ended speculation regarding his future at the club, by signing a new two-and-a-half year deal with Blackburn, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2012. He finished the season having made 27 appearances in all competitions, scoring once.

Hoilett eventually agreed to a loan move to Germany, joining SC Paderborn. He made his senior debut for the club against Kickers Offenbach, coming on as a substitute for Sven Lintjens in a 3–2 victory on 3 February 2008, aged 17. Hoilett's first match in the starting eleven was against 1899 Hoffenheim on 9 March 2008.

Hoilett scored his only goal of his loan campaign on 18 May 2008 against Borussia Mönchengladbach in what would be his final game for the club. Paderborn were later relegated, ending the 2007–08 2. Bundesliga season in 17th position.

Hoilett was loaned to another German club in the 2. Bundesliga, FC St. Pauli, for the 2008–09 2. Bundesliga season. He made his debut for the Hamburg-based side against SpVgg Greuther Fürth on 22 August 2008. He scored six times during his loan campaign with braces against Alemannia Aachen and Hansa Rostock, as well as individual goals against 1860 München and 1. FC Kaiserslautern. His final game would come in the form of a 1–0 loss against Rot Weiss Ahlen on 3 May 2009. St. Pauli finished the season in eighth position.

Hoilett began playing for Brampton Youth SC, a local football team in his hometown. He travelled the world with his club and gained attention at a tournament in Wales; he turned down an extended trial with Manchester United to join Blackburn Rovers as he believed he had more chance of breaking into the first team at the latter. After taking a year to make the decision to move to England, Hoilett signed for Rovers in 2003. After moving to England, he attended St Bede's Roman Catholic High School in Blackburn. He progressed through the club's youth system before signing his first contract at the age of 16. However, he suffered a setback when he was initially unable to earn a work permit to play in the United Kingdom. In order to qualify for one in future, Blackburn looked to loan Hoilett to a club in another European country, with the player rejecting possible moves to Belgium and France.

As a child, he captained Canada's representative team at the 2001 Danone Nations Cup in Paris.

David Wayne "Junior" Hoilett (born 5 June 1990) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a winger for Championship club Cardiff City and the Canadian national team.