Matthew Joseph Virtue-Thick (born 2 May 1997) is an English professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who plays as a

midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...

for side

Fleetwood Town Fleetwood Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Fleetwood, Lancashire, England. The team competes in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the English football league system. Established in 1997, the current Flee ...

. He has previously played for

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

and

Notts County Notts County Football Club is a professional association football, football club in Nottingham, England, which competes in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of Football in England, English football, following promotion and relegation, promotion ...

Career

Virtue joined Liverpool at under-11 level, having played with Chelsea until the age of 9. He moved on loan to

in January 2018. He was named captain of Liverpool's Under-23 team in October 2018. In January 2019, he signed for

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...

. He scored his first professional goal against

Accrington Stanley Accrington Stanley Football Club is a professional association football club based in Accrington, Lancashire, England, that compete in the , the fourth level of the English football league system. They have spent their entire history playing a ...

on 5 March 2019. On 16 October 2020, Virtue signed a new two-year contract with Blackpool. In December 2020 he tested positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

and had to self-isolate, missing matches. In October 2021 he extended his contract for a further year. He moved on loan to Lincoln City on 1 September 2022. He made his debut coming off the bench against

Cambridge United Cambridge United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Cambridge, England. They currently compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed the U’s, the club h ...

on 3 September 2022. He scored his first goal for Lincoln City against

Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers FC is a men's professional football club in Bristol. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club is affiliated to Bristol Rovers W.F.C., whose team play in the FA Women's National Leag ...

in a 6–3 win on 17 September 2022. After a period injured, he returned to the Lincoln first-team. Following the conclusion of the 2023–24 season, Blackpool confirmed that Virtue would be departing the club upon the expiration of his contract. Virtue signed for

on 1 July 2024.

Career statistics

References

1997 births Living people English men's footballers Men's association football midfielders Footballers from Surrey Chelsea F.C. players Liverpool F.C. players Notts County F.C. players Blackpool F.C. players Lincoln City F.C. players Fleetwood Town F.C. players English Football League players 21st-century English sportsmen {{England-footy-midfielder-1990s-stub