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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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 Feb 2003 | Bolton Wanderers v Birmingham City | L | 4-2 | Premier League | |
| 04 Feb 2003 | Birmingham City v Manchester United | L | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 08 Feb 2003 | Birmingham City v Chelsea | L | 1-3 | Premier League | |
| 23 Feb 2003 | Birmingham City v Liverpool | W | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 03 Mar 2003 | Aston Villa v Birmingham City | W | 0-2 | Premier League | |
| 16 Mar 2003 | Manchester City v Birmingham City | L | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 22 Mar 2003 | Birmingham City v West Bromwich Albion | W | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 05 Apr 2003 | Tottenham Hotspur v Birmingham City | L | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 12 Apr 2003 | Birmingham City v Sunderland | W | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 19 Apr 2003 | Charlton Athletic v Birmingham City | W | 0-2 | Premier League | |
| 21 Apr 2003 | Birmingham City v Southampton | W | 3-2 | Premier League | |
| 26 Apr 2003 | Birmingham City v Middlesbrough | W | 3-0 | Premier League | |
| 03 May 2003 | Newcastle United v Birmingham City | L | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 11 May 2003 | Birmingham City v West Ham United | D | 2-2 | Premier League | |
| 23 Aug 2003 | Southampton v Birmingham City | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 30 Aug 2003 | Newcastle United v Birmingham City | W | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 14 Sep 2003 | Birmingham City v Fulham | D | 2-2 | Premier League | |
| 20 Sep 2003 | Leeds United v Birmingham City | W | 0-2 | Premier League | |
| 23 Sep 2003 | Blackpool v Birmingham City | L | 1-0 | Carling Cup | 2nd round |
| 27 Sep 2003 | Birmingham City v Portsmouth | W | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 04 Oct 2003 | Manchester United v Birmingham City | L | 3-0 | Premier League | |
| 14 Oct 2003 | Birmingham City v Chelsea | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 19 Oct 2003 | Birmingham City v Aston Villa | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 25 Oct 2003 | Bolton Wanderers v Birmingham City | W | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 03 Nov 2003 | Birmingham City v Charlton Athletic | L | 1-2 | Premier League | |
| 08 Nov 2003 | Wolverhampton Wanderers v Birmingham City | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 22 Nov 2003 | Birmingham City v Arsenal | L | 0-3 | Premier League | |
| 30 Nov 2003 | Liverpool v Birmingham City | L | 3-1 | Premier League | |
| 13 Dec 2003 | Leicester City v Birmingham City | W | 0-2 | Premier League | |
| 26 Dec 2003 | Birmingham City v Manchester City | W | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 28 Dec 2003 | Everton v Birmingham City | L | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 03 Jan 2004 | Birmingham City v Blackburn Rovers | W | 4-0 | FA Cup | 3rd round |
| 11 Feb 2004 | Birmingham City v Everton | W | 3-0 | Premier League | |
| 14 Feb 2004 | Sunderland v Birmingham City | D | 1-1 | FA Cup | 5th round |
| 03 Mar 2004 | Birmingham City v Middlesbrough | W | 3-1 | Premier League | |
| 06 Mar 2004 | Birmingham City v Bolton Wanderers | W | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 13 Mar 2004 | Birmingham City v Leicester City | L | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 20 Mar 2004 | Middlesbrough v Birmingham City | L | 5-3 | Premier League | |
| 27 Mar 2004 | Birmingham City v Leeds United | W | 4-1 | Premier League | |
| 03 Apr 2004 | Fulham v Birmingham City | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 10 Apr 2004 | Birmingham City v Manchester United | L | 1-2 | Premier League | |
| 12 Apr 2004 | Portsmouth v Birmingham City | L | 3-1 | Premier League | |
| 17 Apr 2004 | Charlton Athletic v Birmingham City | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 25 Apr 2004 | Birmingham City v Wolverhampton Wanderers | D | 2-2 | Premier League | |
| 01 May 2004 | Arsenal v Birmingham City | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 08 May 2004 | Birmingham City v Liverpool | L | 0-3 | Premier League | |
| 15 May 2004 | Blackburn Rovers v Birmingham City | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 14 Aug 2004 | Portsmouth v Birmingham City | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 21 Aug 2004 | Birmingham City v Chelsea | L | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 24 Aug 2004 | Birmingham City v Manchester City | W | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 28 Aug 2004 | Tottenham Hotspur v Birmingham City | L | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 11 Sep 2004 | Middlesbrough v Birmingham City | L | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 18 Sep 2004 | Birmingham City v Charlton Athletic | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 21 Sep 2004 | Birmingham City v Lincoln City | W | 3-1 | Carling Cup | 2nd round |
| 25 Sep 2004 | Bolton Wanderers v Birmingham City | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 03 Oct 2004 | Birmingham City v Newcastle United | D | 2-2 | Premier League | |
| 16 Oct 2004 | Birmingham City v Manchester United | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 24 Oct 2004 | Southampton v Birmingham City | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 27 Oct 2004 | Birmingham City v Fulham | L | 0-1 | Carling Cup | 3rd round |
| 30 Oct 2004 | Birmingham City v Crystal Palace | L | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 06 Nov 2004 | Liverpool v Birmingham City | W | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 13 Nov 2004 | Birmingham City v Everton | L | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 21 Nov 2004 | Blackburn Rovers v Birmingham City | D | 3-3 | Premier League | |
| 27 Nov 2004 | Birmingham City v Norwich City | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 04 Dec 2004 | Arsenal v Birmingham City | L | 3-0 | Premier League | |
| 12 Dec 2004 | Aston Villa v Birmingham City | W | 1-2 | Premier League | |
| 18 Dec 2004 | Birmingham City v West Bromwich Albion | W | 4-0 | Premier League | |
| 26 Dec 2004 | Birmingham City v Middlesbrough | W | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 28 Dec 2004 | Fulham v Birmingham City | W | 2-3 | Premier League | |
| 01 Jan 2005 | Newcastle United v Birmingham City | L | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 04 Jan 2005 | Birmingham City v Bolton Wanderers | L | 1-2 | Premier League | |
| 08 Jan 2005 | Birmingham City v Leeds United | W | 3-0 | FA Cup | 3rd round |
| 15 Jan 2005 | Charlton Athletic v Birmingham City | L | 3-1 | Premier League | |
| 30 Jan 2005 | Chelsea v Birmingham City | L | 2-0 | FA Cup | 4th round |
| 02 Feb 2005 | Birmingham City v Southampton | W | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 12 Feb 2005 | Birmingham City v Liverpool | W | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 26 Feb 2005 | Crystal Palace v Birmingham City | L | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 06 Mar 2005 | West Bromwich Albion v Birmingham City | L | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 20 Mar 2005 | Birmingham City v Aston Villa | W | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 02 Apr 2005 | Birmingham City v Tottenham Hotspur | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 09 Apr 2005 | Chelsea v Birmingham City | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 16 Apr 2005 | Birmingham City v Portsmouth | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 20 Apr 2005 | Manchester City v Birmingham City | L | 3-0 | Premier League | |
| 23 Apr 2005 | Everton v Birmingham City | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 30 Apr 2005 | Birmingham City v Blackburn Rovers | W | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 07 May 2005 | Norwich City v Birmingham City | L | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 15 May 2005 | Birmingham City v Arsenal | W | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 13 Aug 2005 | Fulham v Birmingham City | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 20 Aug 2005 | Birmingham City v Manchester City | L | 1-2 | Premier League | |
| 23 Aug 2005 | Birmingham City v Middlesbrough | L | 0-3 | Premier League | |
| 27 Aug 2005 | West Bromwich Albion v Birmingham City | W | 2-3 | Premier League | |
| 10 Sep 2005 | Birmingham City v Charlton Athletic | L | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 17 Sep 2005 | Portsmouth v Birmingham City | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 20 Sep 2005 | Scunthorpe United v Birmingham City | W | 0-2 | Carling Cup | 2nd round |
| 24 Sep 2005 | Birmingham City v Liverpool | D | 2-2 | Premier League | |
| 02 Oct 2005 | Arsenal v Birmingham City | L | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 16 Oct 2005 | Birmingham City v Aston Villa | L | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 22 Oct 2005 | Blackburn Rovers v Birmingham City | L | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 26 Oct 2005 | Birmingham City v Norwich City | W | 2-1 | Carling Cup | 3rd round |
| 29 Oct 2005 | Birmingham City v Everton | L | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 05 Nov 2005 | Newcastle United v Birmingham City | L | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 26 Nov 2005 | Sunderland v Birmingham City | W | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 29 Nov 2005 | Millwall v Birmingham City | D | 2-2 | Carling Cup | 4th round |
| 05 Dec 2005 | Birmingham City v West Ham United | L | 1-2 | Premier League | |
| 10 Dec 2005 | Birmingham City v Fulham | W | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 17 Dec 2005 | Manchester City v Birmingham City | L | 4-1 | Premier League | |
| 20 Dec 2005 | Birmingham City v Manchester United | L | 1-3 | Carling Cup | 5th round |
| 26 Dec 2005 | Tottenham Hotspur v Birmingham City | L | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 28 Dec 2005 | Birmingham City v Manchester United | D | 2-2 | Premier League | |
| 31 Dec 2005 | Chelsea v Birmingham City | L | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 02 Jan 2006 | Birmingham City v Wigan Athletic | W | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 14 Jan 2006 | Charlton Athletic v Birmingham City | L | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 17 Jan 2006 | Birmingham City v Torquay United | W | 2-0 | FA Cup | 3rd round replay |
| 21 Jan 2006 | Birmingham City v Portsmouth | W | 5-0 | Premier League | |
| 01 Feb 2006 | Liverpool v Birmingham City | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 04 Feb 2006 | Birmingham City v Arsenal | L | 0-2 | Premier League | |
| 25 Nov 2006 | Burnley v Birmingham City | W | 1-2 | League Championship | |
| 02 Dec 2006 | Birmingham City v Plymouth Argyle | W | 3-0 | League Championship | |
| 09 Dec 2006 | Birmingham City v Preston North End | W | 3-1 | League Championship | |
| 16 Dec 2006 | Sheffield Wednesday v Birmingham City | W | 0-3 | League Championship | |
| 23 Dec 2006 | Southend United v Birmingham City | W | 0-4 | League Championship | |
| 26 Dec 2006 | Birmingham City v Queens Park Rangers | W | 2-1 | League Championship | |
| 29 Dec 2006 | Birmingham City v Luton Town | D | 2-2 | League Championship | |
| 01 Jan 2007 | Ipswich Town v Birmingham City | L | 1-0 | League Championship | |
| 06 Jan 2007 | Birmingham City v Newcastle United | D | 2-2 | FA Cup | 3rd round |
| 17 Jan 2007 | Newcastle United v Birmingham City | W | 1-5 | FA Cup | 3rd round replay |
| 27 Jan 2007 | Birmingham City v Reading | L | 2-3 | FA Cup | 4th round |
| 30 Jan 2007 | Birmingham City v Southend United | L | 1-3 | League Championship | |
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 |