Matthew Upson
| Born | 18 April 1979, Stowmarket |
| Nationality | English |
| Weight | 72 kg |
| Height | 1.85 m |
| Position | Defender/Centre back |
Many observers believe Arsene Wenger was rather hasty in allowing the former Luton Town centre-back to join Birmingham City.
Matthew went on to win England international honours.
Matthew spent the first part of the 2000-01 season battling back to full fitness after rupturing a cruciate ligament in December 1999.
He made a handful of appearances for Arsenal in the autumn, featuring in the defeats against Ipswich Town and Shakhtar Donetsk in the Worthington Cup and Champions' League competitions, but made only one substitute appearance in the Premiership away at Everton.
He subsequently joined Nottingham Forest on loan where he made a single appearance against Portsmouth in an unfamiliar midfield role before returning early to North London with a back injury.
He later moved to Crystal Palace for another loan period and featured regularly for the Eagles in the run-in to the end of the season, contributing to their struggle to avoid relegation.
Back at Highbury, he added a further appearance from the subs' bench when he replaced Robert Pires in the final stages of the last game of the season at Southampton.
Matthew is a strong, intelligent central defender who is comfortable on the ball and has good distribution skills.
He continued to feature in the England Under-21 squad winning a further three caps.
Matthew's contract at Birmingham City was extended to June 2008 in April 2006.
He joined West Ham United in January 2007 with a contract to June 2011.
Matthew joined Stoke City in August 2011 with a two-year contract.
Career stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-97 | England | UEFA Under-18 | 1 |
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| 1997-98 | Arsenal | Coca-Cola League Cup | 2 |
1
|
|||
| 1997-98 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 1 |
1
|
|||
| 1997-98 | Arsenal | Premier League | 5 | ||||
| 1997-98 | England | UEFA Under-18 | 6 | ||||
| 1998-99 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1998-99 | Arsenal | Premier League | 5 |
||||
| 1998-99 | Arsenal | UEFA Champions League | 1 | ||||
| 1998-99 | Arsenal | Worthington Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1998-99 | England | UEFA Under-18 | 3 | ||||
| 1998-99 | England | UEFA Under-21 | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 1998-99 | England | Under-21 | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1999-00 | Arsenal | Premier League | 5 | 3 |
1
|
||
| 1999-00 | Arsenal | UEFA Champions League | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1999-00 | Arsenal | Worthington Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1999-00 | England | UEFA Under-21 | 2 |
1
|
|||
| 1999-00 | England | Under-21 | 1 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Arsenal | Premier League | 2 |
||||
| 2000-01 | Arsenal | UEFA Champions League | 1 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Arsenal | Worthington Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Crystal Palace | League Division 1 | 7 |
1
|
|||
| 2000-01 | England | UEFA Under-21 | 1 | ||||
| 2000-01 | England | Under-21 | 1 | 2 |
|||
| 2000-01 | Nottingham Forest | League Division 1 | 1 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 1 |
||||
| 2001-02 | Arsenal | Premier League | 10 | 4 |
2
|
||
| 2001-02 | Arsenal | UEFA Champions League | 5 | 1 |
2
|
||
| 2001-02 | Arsenal | Worthington Cup | 1 |
1
|
|||
| 2002-03 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Birmingham City | Premier League | 14 |
1
|
1
|
||
| 2002-03 | England | European Championship | 1 | ||||
| 2002-03 | England | International | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2002-03 | Reading | League Division 1 | 13 | 1 |
3
|
||
| 2002-03 | Reading | Worthington Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2003-04 | Birmingham City | Carling Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Birmingham City | FA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Birmingham City | Premier League | 30 |
2
|
|||
| 2003-04 | England | European Championship | 1 | ||||
| 2003-04 | England | International | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2004-05 | Birmingham City | Carling Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2004-05 | Birmingham City | FA Cup | 2 |
2
|
|||
| 2004-05 | Birmingham City | Premier League | 36 | 2 |
5
|
||
| 2004-05 | England | International | 1 |
||||
| 2005-06 | Birmingham City | Carling Cup | 4 |
2
|
|||
| 2005-06 | Birmingham City | FA Cup | 1 |
1
|
|||
| 2005-06 | Birmingham City | Premier League | 24 | 1 |
2
|
||
| 2006-07 | Birmingham City | FA Cup | 3 |
1
|
|||
| 2006-07 | Birmingham City | League Championship | 8 | 1 |
2 |
1
|
|
| 2006-07 | West Ham United | Premier League | 2 | ||||
| 2007-08 | England | International | 1 | ||||
| 2007-08 | West Ham United | Carling Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2007-08 | West Ham United | FA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2007-08 | West Ham United | Premier League | 29 | 1 |
2
|
||
| 2008-09 | England | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 2008-09 | England | International | 2 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 2008-09 | West Ham United | Carling Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2008-09 | West Ham United | FA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2008-09 | West Ham United | Premier League | 37 |
2
|
|||
| 2009-10 | England | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 2009-10 | England | International | 3 | ||||
| 2009-10 | West Ham United | Carling Cup | 1 |
||||
| 2009-10 | West Ham United | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2009-10 | West Ham United | Premier League | 33 | 3 |
3
|
||
| 2010-11 | West Ham United | Carling Cup | 3 | ||||
| 2010-11 | West Ham United | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2010-11 | West Ham United | Premier League | 30 |
4
|
|||
| 2011-12 | Stoke City | Carling Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2011-12 | Stoke City | FA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2011-12 | Stoke City | Premier League | 10 | 4 |
1 |
1
|
|
| 2011-12 | Stoke City | UEFA Europa League | 8 | 1 |
2
|
1
|
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Match history
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Oct 1997 | Arsenal v Birmingham City | W | 4-1 | Coca-Cola League Cup | 3rd round |
| 18 Nov 1997 | Arsenal v Coventry City | W | 1-0 | Coca-Cola League Cup | 4th round |
| 17 Jan 1998 | Coventry City v Arsenal | D | 2-2 | Premier League | |
| 21 Feb 1998 | Arsenal v Crystal Palace | W | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 25 Feb 1998 | Crystal Palace v Arsenal | W | 1-2 | FA Cup | 5th round replay |
| 02 Mar 1998 | West Ham United v Arsenal | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 18 Apr 1998 | Arsenal v Wimbledon | W | 5-0 | Premier League | |
| 06 May 1998 | Liverpool v Arsenal | L | 4-0 | Premier League | |
| 28 Oct 1998 | Derby County v Arsenal | W | 1-2 | Worthington Cup | 3rd round |
| 11 Nov 1998 | Arsenal v Chelsea | L | 0-5 | Worthington Cup | 4th round |
| 09 Dec 1998 | Panathinaikos v Arsenal | W | 1-3 | Champions League | Group E |
| 09 Jan 1999 | Arsenal v Liverpool | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 16 Jan 1999 | Nottingham Forest v Arsenal | W | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 24 Jan 1999 | Wolverhampton Wanderers v Arsenal | W | 1-2 | FA Cup | 4th round |
| 31 Jan 1999 | Arsenal v Chelsea | W | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 28 Feb 1999 | Newcastle United v Arsenal | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 13 Mar 1999 | Everton v Arsenal | W | 0-2 | Premier League | |
| 10 Aug 1999 | Derby County v Arsenal | W | 1-2 | Premier League | |
| 14 Aug 1999 | Sunderland v Arsenal | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 22 Aug 1999 | Arsenal v Manchester United | L | 1-2 | Premiership | |
| 25 Aug 1999 | Arsenal v Bradford City | W | 2-0 | Premiership | |
| 12 Oct 1999 | Arsenal v Preston North End | W | 2-1 | Worthington Cup | 3rd round |
| 19 Oct 1999 | Arsenal v Barcelona | L | 2-4 | Champions League | Group B |
| 30 Oct 1999 | Arsenal v Newcastle United | D | 0-0 | Premiership | |
| 02 Nov 1999 | AIK Solna v Arsenal | W | 2-3 | Champions League | Group B |
| 20 Nov 1999 | Arsenal v Middlesbrough | W | 5-1 | Premiership | |
| 28 Nov 1999 | Arsenal v Derby County | W | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 30 Nov 1999 | Middlesbrough v Arsenal | D | 2-2 | Worthington Cup | 4th round |
| 04 Dec 1999 | Leicester City v Arsenal | W | 0-3 | Premier League | |
| 01 Nov 2000 | Arsenal v Ipswich Town | L | 1-2 | Worthington Cup | 3rd round |
| 07 Nov 2000 | Shakhtar Donetsk v Arsenal | L | 3-0 | Champions League | Group B |
| 18 Nov 2000 | Everton v Arsenal | L | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 19 May 2001 | Southampton v Arsenal | L | 3-2 | Premier League | |
| 19 Sep 2001 | Arsenal v Schalke 04 | W | 3-2 | Champions League | Group C |
| 22 Sep 2001 | Arsenal v Bolton Wanderers | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 26 Sep 2001 | Panathinaikos v Arsenal | L | 1-0 | Champions League | Group C |
| 29 Sep 2001 | Derby County v Arsenal | W | 0-2 | Premier League | |
| 13 Oct 2001 | Southampton v Arsenal | W | 0-2 | Premier League | |
| 16 Oct 2001 | Arsenal v Panathinaikos | W | 2-1 | Champions League | Group C |
| 20 Oct 2001 | Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers | D | 3-3 | Premier League | |
| 27 Oct 2001 | Sunderland v Arsenal | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 30 Oct 2001 | Schalke 04 v Arsenal | L | 3-1 | Champions League | Group C |
| 21 Nov 2001 | Deportivo La Coruņa v Arsenal | L | 2-0 | Champions League | Phase 2 group D |
| 25 Nov 2001 | Arsenal v Manchester United | W | 3-1 | Premier League | |
| 01 Dec 2001 | Ipswich Town v Arsenal | W | 0-2 | Premier League | |
| 04 Dec 2001 | Arsenal v Juventus | W | 3-1 | Champions League | Phase 2 group D |
| 09 Dec 2001 | Arsenal v Aston Villa | W | 3-2 | Premier League | |
| 11 Dec 2001 | Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal | L | 4-0 | Worthington Cup | Quarter-final |
| 23 Dec 2001 | Liverpool v Arsenal | W | 1-2 | Premier League | |
| 13 Jan 2002 | Arsenal v Liverpool | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 23 Jan 2002 | Leicester City v Arsenal | W | 1-3 | Premier League | |
| 27 Jan 2002 | Arsenal v Liverpool | W | 1-0 | FA Cup | 4th round |
| 30 Jan 2002 | Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal | W | 2-3 | Premier League | |
| 02 Feb 2002 | Arsenal v Southampton | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 10 Feb 2002 | Everton v Arsenal | W | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 04 Jan 2003 | Arsenal v Oxford United | W | 2-0 | FA Cup | 3rd round |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luton Town | 24 Apr 1996 | 10 May 1997 | |
| Arsenal | 10 May 1997 | 23 Jan 2003 | |
| Nottingham Forest | 12 Aug 2000 | 20 Dec 2000 | L |
| Crystal Palace | 02 Mar 2001 | 07 May 2001 | L |
| Reading | 05 Sep 2002 | 08 Dec 2002 | L |
| Birmingham City | 23 Jan 2003 | 31 Jan 2007 | |
| West Ham United | 31 Jan 2007 | 30 Jun 2011 | |
| Stoke City | 09 Aug 2011 |