Adam Matthews

Adam James Matthews (born 13 January 1992) is a Welsh footballer who plays as a right back for Shamrock Rovers. He is a former Wales international.

Early life

As a child, Matthews attended Penyrheol Comprehensive School in Swansea and before choosing football, was also a talented rugby player including being followed by the Ospreys rugby union side. Matthews' cousins, Liam and Sam, were both previously members of the academy at Cardiff City.

Club career

Early career

After playing local football, Matthews was taken on trial at Swansea City but suffered a broken arm and was told to come back when he had recovered from the injury. After returning to fitness Matthews attempted to return to Swansea but was told that their youth system was now full.

Cardiff City

Matthews attended a trial at Swansea's South Wales rivals Cardiff City and as the only player of around forty attendants at the trial chosen, signed on academy terms at the age of 8. After making his way through the youth side, signed a professional contract in January 2009. On 21 April 2009 Matthews featured in the full side for the first time, when he was named as a substitute in a 2–2 draw with Charlton Athletic.

He went on to make his professional debut at the start of the 2009–10 season when he replaced Paul Quinn during a 1–1 draw with Blackpool on 15 August. Due to injuries in the squad, Matthews was handed consecutive starts start in a 3–1 win over Plymouth Argyle followed by a 3–0 win over Bristol City, forcing an own goal from Bristol City captain Jamie McCombe. His performances earned him a regular starting spot in the side, missing two matches in the following two months, including scoring his first senior goal during a 4–0 win over Watford on 3 October 2009 when goalkeeper Scott Loach misjudged Matthews' 50-yard free-kick, allowing the ball to bounce into the net. Prior to the January 2010 transfer window, Matthews was linked with moves to a number of Premier League clubs, including reports of an already completed deal with Premier League champions Manchester United, however Cardiff manager Dave Jones dismissed the rumours stating that no offers had been made. His performances during his debut season also saw him named as the Football League Apprentice of the Year for the Championship with Cardiff academy assistant manager Geraint Twose describing him as "''a shining example to every young player on how to perform on the pitch, and also how to behave off the pitch.''"

Celtic

On 25 February 2011, Celtic announced they had secured the signing of Matthews on a pre-contract agreement to commence on 1 July, on a four-year contract. The move saw him link up with his former Cardiff teammate Joe Ledley. Matthews was given the number 2 shirt that was previously worn by Andreas Hinkel.

Matthews made an impressive debut in a 1–0 win over Aberdeen on 7 August. He then played in his first European match, after coming on as a substitute in Celtic's 2–0 loss to Atlético Madrid. On 29 September he played in Celtic's 1–1 Europa League draw with Udinese, he started the match at right back but moved to left back for the second half when fellow countryman Joe Ledley went off injured. After an impressive start to the season, it was reported that Premier League clubs Fulham and Everton were interested in signing Matthews in the January transfer window. He made his Champions League debut at Celtic Park against HJK Helsinki on 1 August 2012.

Matthews was part of the Celtic side which famously beat Barcelona 2-1 in the UEFA Champions League on 8 November 2012. He scored his first-ever goal for the club on 12 December, a powerful strike into the far corner of the goal against Arbroath in the Scottish Cup on a four-year contract, moving for a fee of £2 million. His debut came on the opening day of the season, in a 4–2 loss to Leicester City. Matthews later suffered an ankle injury which kept him out for six weeks and struggled to regain a place in the first team.

Loan to Bristol City

After only two appearances for Sunderland, he joined Championship club Bristol City on loan for the remainder of the season, on 7 March 2016. He made his debut in Bristol City's 6–0 win over bottom club, Bolton Wanderers on 19 March. Matthews helped City to safety during his nine appearances.

New Sunderland manager, David Moyes, deemed Matthews surplus to requirements at the Stadium of Light and he rejoined Bristol City on a season-long loan on 28 July 2016. He suffered a hamstring tear in August, which ruled him out for 4 weeks.

Charlton Athletic

Matthews signed a one-year deal with Charlton Athletic having been training with the club for a number of weeks after leaving Sunderland at the end of his contract.

On 26 October 2020, Matthews signed a new one-year deal with Charlton Athletic.

On 8 July 2021, Matthews signed a new deal with the club, keeping at Charlton Athletic for the 2021–22 season.

On 10 May 2022, it was confirmed that Matthews would leave Charlton Athletic when his contract expired.

Omonia

On 23 June 2022, Matthews signed a two-year contract with Omonia, joining his former manager at Celtic, Neil Lennon.

Shamrock Rovers

He joined League of Ireland Premier Division club Shamrock Rovers on 28 January 2025, signing on a free transfer. Rovers' sporting director Stephen McPhail had been Matthews' teammate at Cardiff City, which played a part in Rovers manager Stephen Bradley's decision to sign him. ''" atthewswill bring really valuable experience and his ability on the pitch speaks for itself,"'' Bradley said, ''"He's one we think can help the group go to another level."'' He made his debut for the club on 16 February 2025 in the first league game of the season, a Dublin Derby against Bohemians at the Aviva Stadium, but was substituted off injured in the 28th minute after colliding with his own goalkeeper Edward McGinty in the process of conceding the only goal of the game, with the recovery period ultimately keeping him out of action for two months.

International career

Matthews made his début for the Wales under-17 side on 28 February 2008 in a 1–0 win over Austria and played in two out of the team's three matches during the 2008 UEFA Under-17 Championship elite round. On 15 September 2008, he captained the side for the first time during a 4–1 win over Faroe Islands, the first match during the qualifying round of the 2009 UEFA Under-17 Championship, remaining as captain throughout the remaining matches of the qualifying round. His final appearance for the under-17 side came on 28 March 2009 in a 3–0 defeat against Finland.

In July 2008, he was part of the under-19 side that took part in the Milk Cup, featuring in games against Chile and Israel. His next participation at youth level for Wales came when he was called up to the under-21 side for matches against Hungary and Italy, but remained on the bench in both games. On 9 November 2009, Matthews was called up to the Wales senior squad for the first time in his career for a friendly against Scotland at the age of seventeen, but remained on the bench. Four days later, Matthews made his début for the under-21 side when he played 45 minutes in a 2–1 defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina before being substituted due to a foot injury.

Matthews made his senior Wales début on 25 May 2011, against Scotland, in the Nations Cup, he came on as 61st-minute substitute for Neal Eardley. After playing in some friendlies, Matthews took part in his first qualifying game for a major tournament on 11 October 2011 when he came on as a substitute in a Euro 2012 qualifying tie away against Bulgaria. It was his long pass that set up Gareth Bale to score the only goal in a 1–0 victory.

On 22 December 2011 it was revealed that Matthews had been invited to participate in the Great Britain team for the 2012 Summer Olympics. However, he was not subsequently selected for the GB squad.

Matthews was not called up for the national team during the 2014–15 season despite being a regular starter at Celtic. He started in the friendly against Northern Ireland in March 2016, having won his last cap three years earlier. He was not selected for the final Euro 2016 squad. Matthews didn't play again for Wales until March 2018, when he came on as a substitute in Wales' 1–0 loss against Uruguay in the final of the 2018 China Cup.

Career statistics

Honours

;Celtic
* Scottish Premiership: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15
* Scottish Cup
* Scottish League Cup: 2014–15

Omonia
*Cypriot Cup: 2022–23

Individual

* Championship Apprentice of the Year: 2009–10

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Matthews, Adam
1992 births
Men's association football defenders
Cardiff City F.C. players
Celtic F.C. players
English Football League players
Living people
People educated at Penyrheol Comprehensive School
Footballers from Swansea
Premier League players
Scottish Premier League players
Scottish Professional Football League players
Wales men's international footballers
Wales men's youth international footballers
Wales men's under-21 international footballers
Welsh men's footballers
Sunderland A.F.C. players
Bristol City F.C. players
Charlton Athletic F.C. players
AC Omonia players
Shamrock Rovers F.C. players
Expatriate men's footballers in Cyprus
21st-century Welsh sportsmen
Cypriot First Division players
League of Ireland players