Hayden Matthews shares ‘shock’ about Portsmouth debut
Hayden Matthews has enjoyed a rollercoaster of a season.
The 20-year-old signed for Portsmouth from Sydney FC this January and showed great promise in his early performances for the Blues.
Matthews’ season was cut short by an ankle injury, but it can still be considered a success, especially after Pompey achieved their goal of avoiding relegation.
Now, the youngster has revealed some shock details about the circumstances of his Portsmouth debut.
Matthews reveals shocking details of Portsmouth debut
During an appearance on the United by Football Podcast, Matthews opened up on being thrust into the limelight at Fratton Park.
Indeed, his debut as a Portsmouth player occurred far sooner than he expected, just one day after he’d met his teammates.
He explained: “I wasn’t meant to start. And then on matchday, one of the boys fell ill. So I get a call, basically being like ‘yeah, you’re starting’.
“Obviously, it’s a bit of a shock. You look around and you’re like ‘I don’t even know everyone’s names’.”
The story reveals the extent of the injury crisis at Portsmouth at that time. They lost 1-0 to Millwall, but Matthews enjoyed an impressive debut.
He made five more appearances in a Blues shirt before an ankle injury ruled him out for the season.
The defender can now focus on regaining fitness and fighting for a place in next season’s starting XI.
Matthews has a big opportunity to prove himself next season
Matthews showed a lot of potential in a Portsmouth shirt before his season-ending ankle injury. The sky’s the limit for the Aussie.
The jump in quality from the Australian A-League to the Championship is significant, especially for a 20-year-old, but Matthews looked more than capable during his first appearances.
| Hayden Matthews Portsmouth statistics 2024-25 | |
| Appearances | 6 |
| Minutes Played | 315 |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 0 |
He’ll have a fight on his hands to force his way into the starting XI next season. The likes of Regan Poole and Conor Shaughnessy will also be competing for a starting spot, and it’s possible that Rob Atkinson could sign permanently.
Still, the competition for places will aid Matthews’ development. He signed a five-year contract at Fratton Park and can learn a lot from these more experienced defenders.
In John Mousinho, he has a manager who’s happy to put faith in youngsters, so he should have every opportunity to prove himself.