Ajay Matthews
.jpg) Matthews in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ajay Matthews[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 11 June 2006[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Middlesbrough, England | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
Exeter City (on loan from Millwall) | ||
| Number | 15 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2014–2025 | Middlesbrough | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2024–2025 | Middlesbrough | 2 | (0) |
| 2025– | Millwall | 0 | (0) |
| 2026 | → Leyton Orient (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2026– | → Exeter City (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2022 | England U17 | 3 | (0) |
| 2024 | England U18 | 2 | (1) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18:37, 5 September 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 12:06, 28 May 2024 (UTC) | |||
Ajay Matthews (born 11 June 2006) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Exeter City on loan from EFL Championship club Millwall.
Early life
[edit]His father Lee Matthews is a former footballer as well as his agent.[3]
Club career
[edit]Middlesbrough
[edit]Matthews joined the academy on hometown club Middlesbrough at under-9s level having been spotted playing for local side Marton Juniors.[4] Having progressed through the academy system, he signed a first professional two-year contract in June 2023 following an impressive first season as a scholar.[5]
Ahead of the 2023–24 season, Matthews featured for the first-team in pre-season friendlies, notably scoring against Hartlepool United.[6] On 22 April 2024, Matthews made his first-team senior debut for the club, coming on as a substitute in a 4–3 home defeat to Leeds United.[7] The debut came amidst rumours linking him to a number of top European clubs for the upcoming summer transfer window.[8]
Millwall
[edit]On 30 January 2025, Matthews signed for Championship club Millwall on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee.[9]
On 16 January 2026, Matthews joined League One club Leyton Orient on loan for the remainder of the 2025–26 season.[10]
On 1 September 2026, he joined League Two club Exeter City on a season-long loan deal.[11]
International career
[edit]Matthews represented the England U17 team at the 2022 Nordic Cup.[12]
In May 2024, Matthews was called up for the England U18s and made his debut which he had scored the final goal during a 4–2 win over Northern Ireland and at St. George's Park.[13]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of match played 31 January 2026[14]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Middlesbrough | 2023–24[15] | Championship | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |
| 2024–25[16] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| Millwall | 2024–25[16] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2025–26[17] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| Leyton Orient (loan) | 2025–26[17] | League One | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | |||
References
[edit]- ↑ "SQUAD LIST 2023/24 & U21 REGISTERED CONTRACT PLAYERS" (PDF). English Football League. 8 February 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ↑ Ajay Matthews at Soccerway. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ↑ "Ajay Matthews". Middlesbrough FC. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
- ↑ Shaw, Dominic (28 June 2023). "Middlesbrough striker Ajay Matthews signs first pro contract". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ↑ "Ajay Matthews Signs First Pro Contract". www.mfc.co.uk. 28 June 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ↑ Johns, Craig (19 July 2023). "Michael Carrick makes Middlesbrough academy pledge as youngsters look to impress in pre-season". Teesside Live. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ↑ "Middlesbrough 3–4 Leeds: Whites go second in Championship". BBC Sport. 22 April 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ↑ Johns, Craig (19 April 2024). "Eleven Middlesbrough youngsters who could be given Championship chance in the final three games". Teesside Gazette. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ↑ "Millwall announce Ajay Matthews signing". www.millwallfc.co.uk. 30 January 2025. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ↑ "Striker Ajay Matthews joins Orient on loan from Millwall". www.leytonorient.com. 16 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ↑ "Danny Rose and Ajay Matthews join on Deadline Day!". www.exetercityfc.co.uk. 1 September 2026. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
- ↑ "Boro Youngsters Feature For England U17s". www.mfc.co.uk. 8 August 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ↑ "Report: England MU18s 4-2 Northern Ireland". EnglandFootball.com. 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ↑ Ajay Matthews at Soccerway. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- ↑ "Games played by Ajay Matthews in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- 1 2 "Games played by Ajay Matthews in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- 1 2 "Games played by Ajay Matthews in 2025/2026". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- 2006 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Middlesbrough
- English men's footballers
- Men's association football forwards
- Middlesbrough F.C. players
- Millwall F.C. players
- Leyton Orient F.C. players
- Exeter City F.C. players
- English Football League players
- England men's youth international footballers
- British Asian footballers
- English people of Indian descent
- 21st-century English sportsmen