Derek Cornelius is a Canadian centre-back born in Ajax, Ontario, in 1997. After youth football in Canada and Germany, he played senior football with VfB Lubeck, VfR Neumunster and Javor Ivanjica before returning to Canada with Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Loan spells in Greece were followed by a move to Malmo, where he won Allsvenskan titles, and then to Marseille, with a later loan to Rangers. Cornelius represented Canada at youth level, was named Canadian youth international player of the year in 2018, and became a senior international in the same year.