# Rolando Aarons
**Rolando Aarons** (born 1995) is a Jamaican professional footballer who plays as a winger; he is best known for his years at Newcastle United, where he came through the academy, made his Premier League debut in 2014, and was remembered for a League Cup goal against Manchester City before a career shaped by repeated loan moves and injuries.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1995, Kingston, Jamaica; 1.75 m, 67 kg[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/rolando-aarons-242665/) |
| Position | Forward/winger; naturally left-footed, able to play on either flank or behind the main striker[2](https://www.nufc-history.co.uk/profiles/2010s/Rolando-Aarons.html) |
| Youth clubs | Bristol City (2009–2012), Newcastle United (2012–2014)[3](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/rolando-aarons/transfers/spieler/258188/transfer_id/2390571) |
| Newcastle United | Professional contract 1 April 2014; debut 17 August 2014 against Manchester City; 27 appearances and 4 goals in all[2](https://www.nufc-history.co.uk/profiles/2010s/Rolando-Aarons.html) • [4](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/news/aarons-joins-huddersfield-town) |
| Loan spells | Hellas Verona, Slovan Liberec, Sheffield Wednesday, Wycombe Wanderers, Motherwell (twice)[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/rolando-aarons-242665/) • [5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/newcastle-united-cult-figure-remembered-for-manchester-city-goal-signs-for-non-league-club) |
| Permanent moves | Huddersfield Town, 7 January 2021, undisclosed fee, contract to June 2023; later NK Celje in Slovenia; Morecambe from September 2025[6](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55581236) • [5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/newcastle-united-cult-figure-remembered-for-manchester-city-goal-signs-for-non-league-club) |
| International career | England at under-20 level; later Jamaica, 2 caps in the 2021–22 CONCACAF Nations League[2](https://www.nufc-history.co.uk/profiles/2010s/Rolando-Aarons.html) • [1](https://www.11v11.com/players/rolando-aarons-242665/) |
## Early life and youth career
Aarons was born in [Kingston, Jamaica](https://www.edgepedia.org/kingston-jamaica), and moved to England, where he joined his local club, Bristol City, at the age of thirteen. He was released three years later and given a trial at Newcastle United towards the end of the 2011/12 season, doing well enough to earn a scholarship. He debuted for Newcastle's under-21 side in February 2013, and after adding workrate to his natural talent he was awarded a professional contract on 1 April 2014, shortly after his eighteenth birthday[2](https://www.nufc-history.co.uk/profiles/2010s/Rolando-Aarons.html). Transfermarkt records his youth registration with Newcastle as running from 2012 to 2014[3](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/rolando-aarons/transfers/spieler/258188/transfer_id/2390571).
## Newcastle United
**Breakthrough, 2014/15.** Aarons impressed in pre-season and made his first-team debut as a substitute against Manchester City in Newcastle's opening game of the 2014/15 Premier League season on 17 August 2014[2](https://www.nufc-history.co.uk/profiles/2010s/Rolando-Aarons.html). Two weeks later he came off the bench to score and provide an assist in a 3–3 draw with Crystal Palace, but a thigh problem then ruled him out for six matches[5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/newcastle-united-cult-figure-remembered-for-manchester-city-goal-signs-for-non-league-club). His first Premier League start followed in a 1–0 win over Liverpool on 1 November 2014[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/rolando-aarons-242665/).
The defining moment of his Newcastle career came in the League Cup fourth round in October 2014, when he scored the opening goal in a 2–0 win over the holders, Manchester City, at the Etihad Stadium. Manager [Alan Pardew](https://www.edgepedia.org/alan-pardew) said afterwards that Aarons had "got his feet on the ground" and "tremendous potential", and that it could be a breakthrough season for him[5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/newcastle-united-cult-figure-remembered-for-manchester-city-goal-signs-for-non-league-club) • [2](https://www.nufc-history.co.uk/profiles/2010s/Rolando-Aarons.html). That season he made six first-team appearances, scoring twice, represented England at under-20 level against Romania in September, and won the Sport Newcastle "Wor Jackie" Award[2](https://www.nufc-history.co.uk/profiles/2010s/Rolando-Aarons.html).
**Stalled progress and loans.** Over the next three seasons Aarons appeared only fleetingly, adding 21 further appearances, and he did not play for the first team again after 2017/18[2](https://www.nufc-history.co.uk/profiles/2010s/Rolando-Aarons.html). His contract had been extended to June 2021 in August 2016[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/rolando-aarons-242665/). Injuries and managerial change meant he never settled into a rhythm of regular minutes[5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/newcastle-united-cult-figure-remembered-for-manchester-city-goal-signs-for-non-league-club).
His loan record with Newcastle ran as follows[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/rolando-aarons-242665/):
- Hellas Verona ([Serie A](https://www.edgepedia.org/serie-a), Italy), 31 January to 31 May 2018
- Slovan Liberec (Czech top flight), 7 September 2018 to 30 January 2019
- Sheffield Wednesday (Championship), 31 January to 31 May 2019
- Wycombe Wanderers (League One), 2 September 2019 to 13 January 2020
- Motherwell ([Scottish Premiership](https://www.edgepedia.org/scottish-premiership)), 31 January to 31 May 2020
In 2019/20, left out of the Premier League squad by manager [Steve Bruce](https://www.edgepedia.org/steve-bruce), he spent the first half of the season at Wycombe and the second at Motherwell[2](https://www.nufc-history.co.uk/profiles/2010s/Rolando-Aarons.html).
## Huddersfield Town and moves abroad
Aarons finalized a permanent transfer from Newcastle to Huddersfield Town on 7 January 2021, for an undisclosed fee, on a contract initially running to the summer of 2023[4](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/news/aarons-joins-huddersfield-town) • [6](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55581236). Newcastle's official announcement credited him with 27 appearances and four goals for the club[4](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/news/aarons-joins-huddersfield-town), while [BBC Sport](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-sport) put his total at 26 appearances since his 2014 debut[6](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55581236).
At [Huddersfield](https://www.edgepedia.org/huddersfield) he struggled for minutes, and he joined Motherwell on loan for a second spell; FotMob records that stint as running from August to November 2022, with three appearances[5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/newcastle-united-cult-figure-remembered-for-manchester-city-goal-signs-for-non-league-club) • [7](https://www.fotmob.com/players/570431/rolando-aarons). After his release by Huddersfield he moved abroad for a third time, joining Slovenian side NK Celje, for whom he made 22 appearances over two seasons, scoring once and assisting three times in all competitions; he played for Celje in [UEFA Europa League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-europa-league) qualifying against Shamrock Rovers in August 2024 and left the club at the end of 2024[5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/newcastle-united-cult-figure-remembered-for-manchester-city-goal-signs-for-non-league-club).
In September 2025, after nine months without a club, Aarons signed for non-league side [Morecambe](https://www.edgepedia.org/morecambe), who play in the [National League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-league), wearing the number 99 shirt. He had attended a free-agent pre-season training camp organized by the Professional Footballers' Association before the move, and Morecambe's first-team boss [Ashvir Singh Johal](https://www.edgepedia.org/ashvir-singh-johal) described him as an experienced winger with a background in the Premier League, the Championship, and Serie A[5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/newcastle-united-cult-figure-remembered-for-manchester-city-goal-signs-for-non-league-club).
## International career
Aarons represented England at under-20 level, appearing against Romania in September 2014[2](https://www.nufc-history.co.uk/profiles/2010s/Rolando-Aarons.html). He later switched to Jamaica, the country of his birth, and made two senior appearances in the 2021–22 CONCACAF Nations League League A Group A: a 3–1 win over Suriname on 7 June 2022 and a 1–1 draw with Mexico on 14 June 2022[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/rolando-aarons-242665/).
## Personal life
Aarons is the cousin of [Max Aarons](https://www.edgepedia.org/max-aarons), the Norwich City full-back[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/rolando-aarons-242665/). In October 2016 he was involved, along with friends and family, in a brawl in the VIP area of the Livello cocktail bar in Newcastle; in April 2018 he received a 10-month jail term suspended for 12 months, was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work, and was required to pay £800 in costs[2](https://www.nufc-history.co.uk/profiles/2010s/Rolando-Aarons.html).
## Playing style
Contemporaneous descriptions present Aarons as a tricky, direct winger whose main asset was pace, with good balance and a willingness to take players on; naturally left-footed, he could operate on either flank or behind the main striker[2](https://www.nufc-history.co.uk/profiles/2010s/Rolando-Aarons.html). BBC Sport likewise noted that the left-footer could play on either wing[6](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55581236).
## References
1. [Rolando Aarons Football Player Statistics, 11v11.com](https://www.11v11.com/players/rolando-aarons-242665/)
2. [Rolando Aarons Newcastle United footballer, NUFC-History.co.uk](https://www.nufc-history.co.uk/profiles/2010s/Rolando-Aarons.html)
3. [Rolando Aarons – Transfer history, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/rolando-aarons/transfers/spieler/258188/transfer_id/2390571)
4. [Aarons joins Huddersfield Town, Newcastle United FC](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/news/aarons-joins-huddersfield-town)
5. [Newcastle United cult figure remembered for Manchester City goal signs for non-league club, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/newcastle-united-cult-figure-remembered-for-manchester-city-goal-signs-for-non-league-club)
6. [Rolando Aarons: Huddersfield Town sign Newcastle United winger until 2023, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55581236)
7. [Rolando Aarons – stats, career and market value, FotMob](https://www.fotmob.com/players/570431/rolando-aarons)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of North and Central America and the Caribbean › Caribbean footballers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license