Lester Hayes III

{{Infobox football biography

|name= Lester Hayes III

|birth_date= {{birth date and age|1993|9|19|mf=yes}}

|birth_place= Savannah, Georgia, United States

|height= 1.95 m

|position= Forward

|currentclub= Middelfart

|clubnumber= 28

|youthclubs1=

|collegeyears1 = 2011–2014

|college1 = UC Irvine Anteaters

|collegecaps1 = 79

|collegegoals1 = 12

|years1= 2014

|clubs1= OC Pateadores Blues

|caps1= 11

|goals1= 1

|years2= 2014–2016

|clubs2= PSA Elite

|caps2=

|goals2=

|years3= 2016–2017

|clubs3= ASC San Diego

|caps3=

|goals3=

|years4= 2017–2018

|clubs4= Almuñécar City

|caps4= 10

|goals4= 14

|years5= 2018

|clubs5= Cúllar Vega

|caps5= 8

|goals5= 6

|years6= 2018–2020

|clubs6= Alhaurino

|caps6= 63

|goals6= 21

|years7= 2020–2021

|clubs7= El Palo

|caps7= 21

|goals7= 2

|years8= 2021

|clubs8= Dalum

|caps8= 4

|goals8= 2

|years9= 2021–

|clubs9= Middelfart

|caps9= 48

|goals9= 8

|nationalyears1= 2021–

|nationalteam1= Puerto Rico

|nationalcaps1= 3

|nationalgoals1= 1

|club-update = July 17, 2023

|nationalteam-update = June 10, 2022

}}

Lester "Tre" Hayes III (born September 19, 1993) is a footballer who plays as a forward for Danish 2nd Division club Middelfart. Born in the mainland United States, he represents the Puerto Rico national team.{{Cite web|url=https://eldesmarque.com/malaga/futbol-provincial/260054-sangre-caribena-en-san-ignacio-un-jugador-de-el-palo-convocado-con-la-absoluta-de-puerto-rico|title=Sangre caribeña en San Ignacio: un jugador de El Palo, convocado con la absoluta de Puerto Rico|publisher=eldesmarque.com}} Besides the United States, he has played in Spain and Denmark.{{Cite web|url=https://faa.dk/artikel/efter-dramatisk-brud-i-dalum-puerto-rico-angriberen-tripper-i-middelfart-kulissen|title=Efter dramatisk brud i Dalum – Puerto Rico-angriberen tripper i Middelfart-kulissen|publisher=faa.dk}}{{Cite web|url=https://fyens.dk/artikel/middelfart-boldklub-satser-på-kraftkarl-fra-puerto-rico-angriber-smides-ind-i-kampen-for-overlevelse|title=Middelfart Boldklub satser på kraftkarl fra Puerto Rico|publisher=fyens.dk}}{{Cite web|url=https://bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/brat-dalum-stop-middelfart-henter-amerikaner|title=Middelfart henter amerikaner|publisher=bold.dk}}

Youth and college career

As a youth, Hayes played for MD Nike Rush and DeMatha Catholic High School. From 2011 through 2014 Hayes played college soccer for the UC Irvine Anteaters. Over that time he scored 12 goals in 79 appearances. His 79 appearances for the team is tied for 6th place in that category in program history.{{cite web |title=UC Irvine Anteaters profile |url=https://ucirvinesports.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/lester-hayes-iii/426 |publisher=UC Irvine Athletics |access-date=3 June 2021}} On February 4, 2013, he scored for the Anteaters in a 2–0 friendly victory over Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer.{{cite web |title=UC Irvine Anteaters 2 Real Salt Lake 0 |url=http://soccerstats.us/games/235028/ |publisher=soccerstats.us |access-date=3 June 2021}}

Club career

Hayes III started his career with OC Pateadores Blues of the Premier Development League. He tallied two assists in the opening match of the 2014 PDL season.{{cite web |last1=Prezelski |first1=Ted |title=Standing at the crossroads: FC Tucson faces off with the Blues |url=http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/sports/report/051714_fc-tucson/standing-crossroads-fc-tucson-faces-off-with-blues/ |publisher=Tucson Sentinel |access-date=3 June 2021}} That year he made eleven league appearances for the club, scoring one goal.{{cite web |title=2014 USL Stats |url=https://www.uslleaguetwo.com/2014-stats |publisher=United Soccer League |access-date=3 June 2021}} He then moved to American fifth division side PSA Elite in 2014. That year he was part of the squad that advanced to the Third round of the 2014 U.S. Open Cup by defeating LA Galaxy II.{{cite web |title=LA Galaxy II bow out of U.S. Open Cup to PSA Elite of U.S. Open Cup to PSA Elite |url=https://www.lagalaxy.com/post/2014/05/28/la-galaxy-ii-bow-out-us-open-cup-psa-elite |publisher=Los Angeles Galaxy |access-date=3 June 2021}} After that, he signed for ASC San Diego of the National Premier Soccer League, the country's fourth division, for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.{{cite web |last1=Scavuzzo |first1=Diane |title=NPSL’S Albion Pros Prepares for Battle |url=https://www.soccertoday.com/albion-pros-season-prep-continues/?cn-reloaded=1 |publisher=soccertoday.com |access-date=3 June 2021}}{{cite web |title=Soccer Talents profile |url=http://www.soccer-talents.com/Lester_Tre_Hayes_III-3_7-358756-12.html |publisher=soccer-talents.com |access-date=3 June 2021}}

In 2017, Hayes made the move abroad and signed for a short spell with Spanish club Almuñécar City before moving to Cullar Vega CF, both of the Tercera Andaluza. During his first season in Spain, he scored a total of 20 goals in 18 league matches. His performance lead him to be signed by CD Alhaurino four tiers higher.{{cite web |title=Lester, quinto fichaje del Decano para la temporada 2018/19 |url=http://www.clubdeportivoalhaurino.com/2018/08/lester-quinto-fichaje-del-decano-para.html |publisher=CD Alhaurino |access-date=3 June 2021 |language=Spanish}} After again impressing with 21 goals in 63 matches for the club, Hayes signed for El Palo FC for the 2020–21 season.{{Cite web|url=http://www.losmodestosdelbalon.com/el-palo-fc-incorpora-al-ariete-estadounidense-lester/|title=El Palo FC incorpora al ariete estadounidense Lester|publisher=losmodestosdelbalon.com}}

On July 30, 2021, Hayes joined Danish 3rd Division club Dalum.{{cite news |last1=Nelausen |first1=Raymund |title=Dalum skriver kontrakt med landsholdsspiller |url=https://bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/dalum-skriver-kontrakt-med-landsholdsspiller |access-date=July 17, 2023 |work=bold.dk |date=July 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730154357/https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/dalum-skriver-kontrakt-med-landsholdsspiller/ |archive-date=July 30, 2021 |language=da}} After scoring twice in five appearances for the club, he left due to "circumstances, they were not at fault for", and instead signed with Danish 2nd Division club Middelfart in September 2021.{{cite news |last1=Margren |first1=Sara |title=Brat Dalum-stop: Middelfart henter amerikaner |url=https://bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/brat-dalum-stop-middelfart-henter-amerikaner |access-date=July 17, 2023 |work=bold.dk |date=September 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707090958/https://bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/brat-dalum-stop-middelfart-henter-amerikaner |archive-date=July 7, 2022 |language=da}}

International career

Hayes made his senior international debut for Puerto Rico on 2 June 2021, in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification match against the Bahamas. After coming on as a 64th-minute substitute, he scored his first international goal for the team, the final tally of an eventual 7–0 victory.{{cite web |title=Puerto Rico 7 Bahamas 0 |url=https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/nccamerica/matches/match/400136276/#match-lineups |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108113817/https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/nccamerica/matches/match/400136276/#match-lineups |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 8, 2021 |publisher=FIFA |access-date=3 June 2021}}

=International goals=

:Scores and results list Puerto Rico's goal tally first.{{cite web |title=NFT profile |url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/82685/Lester_Hayes.html |publisher=National Football Teams |access-date=3 June 2021}}

class="wikitable" style="font-size:85%;"

! No. !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition

2 June 2021

Mayagüez Athletics Stadium, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico

align=center | 7–0

2022 FIFA World Cup

colspan="7"|Last updated 2 June 2021