{{Short description|American soccer player}} {{Infobox football biography | name = John Gilkerson | image = John-Gilkerson.jpg | image_size = 175px | fullname = John Gilkerson | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|5|6}} | birth_place = Winchester, Virginia, United States | height = {{height|ft=6|in=0}} | position = Defender | currentclub = | clubnumber = | youthyears1 = 2004–2007 | youthclubs1 = Winthrop Eagles | years1 = 2006 | clubs1 = Virginia Beach Submariners | caps1 = 14 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 2007 | clubs2 = Hampton Roads Piranhas | caps2 = 16 | goals2 = 1 | years3 = 2008 | clubs3 = New York Red Bulls | caps3 = 0 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2008 | clubs4 = → Richmond Kickers (loan) | caps4 = 6 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 2009–2010 | clubs5 = Carolina RailHawks | caps5 = 37 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 2011 | clubs6 = NSC Minnesota Stars | caps6 = 6 | goals6 = 0 | nationalyears1 = | nationalteam1 = | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = | medaltemplates = | pcupdate = July 15, 2011 | ntupdate = }}
'''John Gilkerson''' (born May 6, 1985, in Winchester, Virginia) is an American soccer player.
==Career==
===College and amateur=== Gilkerson was a standout defender during his college career at Winthrop University. He was named to the All-Big South first team in his junior and senior years. In 2006, he was named to the NSCAA All-South Atlantic Region Team. In 2007 Gilkerson started in all of the Eagles’ 18 regular-season games, collecting one goal and two assists while leading a defense that conceded only 13 goals all season. Gilkerson, who has also played for the Virginia Beach Submariners and Hampton Roads Piranhas (Premier Development League), helped guide a Winthrop defense that earned a 0.73 goals-against average in 2006, good for 16th in the nation.
===Professional=== Following his senior season he was drafted by Red Bull New York with the 35th pick in the 2008 MLS Supplemental Draft. After spending part of 2008 out on loan at Richmond Kickers of the USL Second Division, Gilkerson made his full professional debut for the Red Bulls on 1 July 2008, in a US Open Cup third-round game against Crystal Palace Baltimore.<ref>[http://web.mlsnet.com/scoreboard/game.jsp?match=07012008_ZZZNY MLS Match Tracker] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080813074734/http://web.mlsnet.com/scoreboard/game.jsp?match=07012008_ZZZNY |date=2008-08-13 }}</ref>
In January 2009, he signed with the Carolina RailHawks in the USL First Division<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.carolinarailhawks.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=533&Itemid=141 |title=Carolina bolsters squad with four: Gardner, Kreamalmeyer, Plotkin and Gilkerson join RailHawks |access-date=2009-02-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708121903/http://www.carolinarailhawks.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=533&Itemid=141 |archive-date=2011-07-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and stayed with the club through the 2010 season.
Gilkerson signed with NSC Minnesota Stars of the North American Soccer League on March 15, 2011.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4166659| title = NSC Minnesota Stars Sign Three New Players, Lose One - OurSports Central| date = 15 March 2011}}</ref> He was released by the club on November 29, 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nscminnesota.com/2011/11/stars-exercise-18-contract-options/ |title=Stars exercise 18 contract options | NSC Minnesota Stars |accessdate=2011-11-30 |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111203145137/http://nscminnesota.com/2011/11/stars-exercise-18-contract-options/ |archivedate=2011-12-03 }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://carolinarailhawks.com/roster/show/id/29 Carolina RailHawks bio] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080305122716/http://www.winthropeagles.com/default.asp?section=6&type=player&id=663 Winthrop bio] *[http://www.infosportinc.com/2008johngilkerson.htm Infosport Combine profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilkerson, John}} Category:1985 births Category:Living people Category:American men's soccer players Category:Winthrop Eagles men's soccer players Category:North Carolina FC players Category:Virginia Beach Piranhas players Category:New York Red Bulls players Category:Richmond Kickers players Category:Minnesota United FC (2010–2016) players Category:USL League Two players Category:USL First Division players Category:USL Second Division players Category:USSF Division 2 Professional League players Category:North American Soccer League (2011–2017) players Category:Soccer players from Virginia Category:New York Red Bulls draft picks Category:Men's association football defenders