The 24-year-old forward recently secured a move to Russian Premier League club Spartak Moscow after spending two years at Belgian club Charleroi. The move will represent a step up for the Jamaican player, with the Russian club routinely taking part in Europe’s top competitions.
Football in Russia has, however, been plagued by controversy in recent years with fans often known to direct racist and xenophobic chants towards players of different races who represent various clubs. The issue had become so prominent in recent years that there was a campaign to address the issue ahead of the country's hosting of the 2016 World Cup.
However, according to Nicholson’s agent Kevin Cowan. Issues pertaining to racism impact players everywhere.
"There is racism everywhere," Cowan told Voetbalkrant.com.
“That shouldn't be a factor. Shouldn't all players be playing in Italy or Russia otherwise?"
"Spartak came and wanted Shamar, then we are not concerned with possible racism. In the long run, he wants to go to an absolute top competition, but this is a nice step and a very nice club."
Nicholson, a former Boys’ Town footballer, transferred from the Red Stripe Premier League and now plies his trade in Belgium’s Jupiter League.
Charleroi, for whom he plays, are currently third in the league but its suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic has left him in a difficult place.
“[…] it’s a difficult situation as it’s not vacation time and I’m not used to not playing football now in season time, it feels so weird,” said Nicholson in an interview with Jamaican newspaper, The Gleaner.
The 23-year-old is keeping in shape while the league is suspended courtesy of a personal trainer and a programme the club has written for his daily exercise at home, but that is not enough.
“I’m in Charleroi and when you go out, you don’t see people outside, you hear no noise, nothing, it’s so weird. It has affected the whole country and, as we speak, it’s affecting the whole world and now it’s football season and there is no football, it’s just staying home and you get so tired of staying home, even though training is hard,” said Nicholson.
Nicholson had scored nine goals for Charleroi before the forced break, with just one player having scored more for his side.
There was just one game remaining in the regular season by the time COVID-19 fears put an end to football in Belgium, with Charleroi in third place, one point of a Champions League spot.
Nicholson wants the league to play that one remaining regular season game, even if there are no playoffs to come after.
“It would mean so much to me if the team should qualify automatically for the Champions League, it would mean a lot,” he said.
The man who has scored seven goals in 18 appearances for Jamaica believes that the re-start of all the leagues around the world will be tough because teams usually develop momentum along the way as the players become more match ready as the season progresses.
Because of the break, he says, there was no way of telling which teams would start quickly.
