Matthew Upson
| Date of birth | 18 April 1979 |
| Place of birth | Stowmarket |
| Nationality | English |
| Weight | 72 kg |
| Height | 1.85 m |
| Position | Defender |
Many observers believe Arsene Wenger was rather hasty in allowing the former Luton Town centre-back to join Birmingham City.
Matthew Upson 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.
After a loan spell, he joined Brighton & Hove Albion in July 2013 with a one-year contract.
Matthew joined Leicester City in July 2014 with a one-year contract.
He joined Milton Keynes Dons in July 2015 with a one-year contract.
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 | 30 Jun 2013 | |
| Brighton and Hove Albion | 31 Jan 2013 | 31 May 2013 | L |
| Brighton and Hove Albion | 10 Jul 2013 | 30 Jun 2014 | |
| Leicester City | 01 Jul 2014 | 30 Jun 2015 | |
| Milton Keynes Dons | 30 Jul 2015 | 30 Jun 2016 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-98 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 1 |
1
|
|||
| 1997-98 | Arsenal | League Cup | 2 |
1
|
|||
| 1997-98 | Arsenal | Premier League | 5 | ||||
| 1998-99 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1998-99 | Arsenal | League Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1998-99 | Arsenal | Premier League | 5 |
||||
| 1998-99 | Arsenal | UEFA Champions League | 1 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Arsenal | League Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Arsenal | Premier League | 5 | 3 |
1
|
||
| 1999-00 | Arsenal | UEFA Champions League | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2000-01 | Arsenal | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Arsenal | Premier League | 2 |
||||
| 2000-01 | Arsenal | UEFA Champions League | 1 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Crystal Palace | League Division 1 | 7 |
1
|
|||
| 2000-01 | Nottingham Forest | League Division 1 | 1 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 1 |
||||
| 2001-02 | Arsenal | League Cup | 1 |
1
|
|||
| 2001-02 | Arsenal | Premier League | 10 | 4 |
2
|
||
| 2001-02 | Arsenal | UEFA Champions League | 5 | 1 |
2
|
||
| 2002-03 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Birmingham City | Premier League | 14 |
1
|
1
|
||
| 2002-03 | Reading | League Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2002-03 | Reading | League Division 1 | 13 | 1 |
3
|
||
| 2003-04 | Birmingham City | FA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Birmingham City | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Birmingham City | Premier League | 30 |
2
|
|||
| 2004-05 | Birmingham City | FA Cup | 2 |
2
|
|||
| 2004-05 | Birmingham City | League Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2004-05 | Birmingham City | Premier League | 36 | 2 |
5
|
||
| 2005-06 | Birmingham City | FA Cup | 1 |
1
|
|||
| 2005-06 | Birmingham City | League Cup | 4 |
2
|
|||
| 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 | West Ham United | FA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2007-08 | West Ham United | League Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2007-08 | West Ham United | Premier League | 29 | 1 |
2
|
||
| 2008-09 | West Ham United | FA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2008-09 | West Ham United | League Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2008-09 | West Ham United | Premier League | 37 |
2
|
|||
| 2009-10 | West Ham United | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2009-10 | West Ham United | League Cup | 1 |
||||
| 2009-10 | West Ham United | Premier League | 33 | 3 |
3
|
||
| 2010-11 | West Ham United | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2010-11 | West Ham United | League Cup | 3 | ||||
| 2010-11 | West Ham United | Premier League | 30 |
4
|
|||
| 2011-12 | Stoke City | FA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2011-12 | Stoke City | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2011-12 | Stoke City | Premier League | 10 | 4 |
1 |
1
|
|
| 2011-12 | Stoke City | UEFA Europa League | 8 | 1 |
2
|
1
|
|
| 2012-13 | Brighton and Hove Albion | League Championship | 18 | 1 |
2
|
||
| 2012-13 | Brighton and Hove Albion | League Championship Play-Offs | 2 | ||||
| 2012-13 | Stoke City | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2012-13 | Stoke City | Premier League | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2013-14 | Brighton and Hove Albion | FA Cup | 3 | ||||
| 2013-14 | Brighton and Hove Albion | League Championship | 43 | 2 |
3
|
||
| 2013-14 | Brighton and Hove Albion | League Championship Play-Offs | 1 | ||||
| 2014-15 | Leicester City | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2014-15 | Leicester City | Premier League | 5 | ||||
| 2015-16 | Milton Keynes Dons | FA Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2015-16 | Milton Keynes Dons | League Championship | 1 | 2 |
|||
| 2015-16 | Milton Keynes Dons | League Cup | 2 |
1
|
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02 Feb 2013 | Sheffield Wednesday v Brighton and Hove Albion | L | 3-1 | League Championship | |
| 09 Feb 2013 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Hull City | W | 1-0 | League Championship | |
| 12 Feb 2013 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Blackburn Rovers | D | 1-1 | League Championship | |
| 19 Feb 2013 | Cardiff City v Brighton and Hove Albion | W | 0-2 | League Championship | |
| 23 Feb 2013 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Burnley | W | 1-0 | League Championship | |
| 02 Mar 2013 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Huddersfield Town | W | 4-1 | League Championship | |
| 05 Mar 2013 | Bristol City v Brighton and Hove Albion | D | 0-0 | League Championship | |
| 09 Mar 2013 | Bolton Wanderers v Brighton and Hove Albion | L | 1-0 | League Championship | |
| 12 Mar 2013 | Barnsley v Brighton and Hove Albion | L | 2-1 | League Championship | |
| 17 Mar 2013 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Crystal Palace | W | 3-0 | League Championship | |
| 30 Mar 2013 | Nottingham Forest v Brighton and Hove Albion | D | 2-2 | League Championship | |
| 02 Apr 2013 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Charlton Athletic | D | 0-0 | League Championship | |
| 06 Apr 2013 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Leicester City | D | 1-1 | League Championship | |
| 13 Apr 2013 | Middlesbrough v Brighton and Hove Albion | W | 0-2 | League Championship | |
| 16 Apr 2013 | Peterborough United v Brighton and Hove Albion | D | 0-0 | League Championship | |
| 20 Apr 2013 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Blackpool | W | 6-1 | League Championship | |
| 27 Apr 2013 | Leeds United v Brighton and Hove Albion | W | 1-2 | League Championship | |
| 04 May 2013 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Wolverhampton Wanderers | W | 2-0 | League Championship | |
| 10 May 2013 | Crystal Palace v Brighton and Hove Albion | D | 0-0 | League Championship Play-Offs | Semi-final 1st leg |
| 13 May 2013 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Crystal Palace | L |
0-2 Agg: 0-2 |
League Championship Play-Offs | Semi-final 2nd leg |
| 03 Aug 2013 | Leeds United v Brighton and Hove Albion | L | 2-1 | League Championship | |
| 10 Aug 2013 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Derby County | L | 1-2 | League Championship | |
| 17 Aug 2013 | Birmingham City v Brighton and Hove Albion | W | 0-1 | League Championship | |
| 24 Aug 2013 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Burnley | W | 2-0 | League Championship | |
| 31 Aug 2013 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Millwall | D | 1-1 | League Championship | |
| 15 Sep 2013 | Reading v Brighton and Hove Albion | D | 0-0 | League Championship | |
| 18 Sep 2013 | Queens Park Rangers v Brighton and Hove Albion | D | 0-0 | League Championship | |
| 21 Sep 2013 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Bolton Wanderers | W | 3-1 | League Championship | |
| 28 Sep 2013 | Ipswich Town v Brighton and Hove Albion | L | 2-0 | League Championship | |
| 01 Oct 2013 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Sheffield Wednesday | D | 1-1 | League Championship | |
| 05 Oct 2013 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Nottingham Forest | L | 1-3 | League Championship | |
| 19 Oct 2013 | Yeovil Town v Brighton and Hove Albion | D | 0-0 | League Championship | |
| 28 Oct 2013 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Watford | D | 1-1 | League Championship | |
| 02 Nov 2013 | Doncaster Rovers v Brighton and Hove Albion | W | 1-3 | League Championship | |
| 09 Nov 2013 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Blackburn Rovers | W | 3-0 | League Championship | |
| 23 Nov 2013 | Wigan Athletic v Brighton and Hove Albion | W | 0-1 | League Championship | |
| 30 Nov 2013 | AFC Bournemouth v Brighton and Hove Albion | D | 1-1 | League Championship | |
| 03 Dec 2013 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Barnsley | L | 1-2 | League Championship | |
| 07 Dec 2013 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Leicester City | W | 3-1 | League Championship | |
| 14 Dec 2013 | Middlesbrough v Brighton and Hove Albion | W | 0-1 | League Championship | |
| 21 Dec 2013 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Huddersfield Town | D | 0-0 | League Championship | |
| 26 Dec 2013 | Charlton Athletic v Brighton and Hove Albion | L | 3-2 | League Championship | |
| 29 Dec 2013 | Blackpool v Brighton and Hove Albion | W | 0-1 | League Championship | |
| 01 Jan 2014 | Brighton and Hove Albion v AFC Bournemouth | D | 1-1 | League Championship | |
| 11 Jan 2014 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Birmingham City | W | 1-0 | League Championship | |
| 18 Jan 2014 | Derby County v Brighton and Hove Albion | L | 1-0 | League Championship | |
| 25 Jan 2014 | Port Vale v Brighton and Hove Albion | W | 1-3 | FA Cup | 4th round |
| 28 Jan 2014 | Burnley v Brighton and Hove Albion | D | 0-0 | League Championship | |
| 02 Feb 2014 | Watford v Brighton and Hove Albion | L | 2-0 | League Championship | |
| 08 Feb 2014 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Doncaster Rovers | W | 1-0 | League Championship | |
| 11 Feb 2014 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Leeds United | W | 1-0 | League Championship | |
| 17 Feb 2014 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Hull City | D | 1-1 | FA Cup | 5th round |
| 22 Feb 2014 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Wigan Athletic | L | 1-2 | League Championship | |
| 24 Feb 2014 | Hull City v Brighton and Hove Albion | L | 2-1 | FA Cup | 5th round replay |
| 01 Mar 2014 | Millwall v Brighton and Hove Albion | W | 0-1 | League Championship | |
| 08 Mar 2014 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Reading | D | 1-1 | League Championship | |
| 11 Mar 2014 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Queens Park Rangers | W | 2-0 | League Championship | |
| 22 Mar 2014 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Ipswich Town | L | 0-2 | League Championship | |
| 25 Mar 2014 | Sheffield Wednesday v Brighton and Hove Albion | L | 1-0 | League Championship | |
| 29 Mar 2014 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Middlesbrough | L | 0-2 | League Championship | |
| 01 Apr 2014 | Blackburn Rovers v Brighton and Hove Albion | D | 3-3 | League Championship | |
| 05 Apr 2014 | Barnsley v Brighton and Hove Albion | D | 0-0 | League Championship | |
| 08 Apr 2014 | Leicester City v Brighton and Hove Albion | W | 1-4 | League Championship | |
| 12 Apr 2014 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Charlton Athletic | W | 3-0 | League Championship | |
| 21 Apr 2014 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Blackpool | D | 1-1 | League Championship | |
| 03 May 2014 | Nottingham Forest v Brighton and Hove Albion | W | 1-2 | League Championship | |
| 08 May 2014 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Derby County | L | 1-2 | League Championship Play-Offs | Semi-final 1st leg |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-97 | England | UEFA Under-18 | 1 |
||||
| 1997-98 | England | UEFA Under-18 | 6 | ||||
| 1998-99 | England | UEFA Under-18 | 3 | ||||
| 1998-99 | England | UEFA Under-21 | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 1998-99 | England | Under-21 | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1999-00 | England | UEFA Under-21 | 2 |
1
|
|||
| 1999-00 | England | Under-21 | 1 | ||||
| 2000-01 | England | UEFA Under-21 | 1 | ||||
| 2000-01 | England | Under-21 | 1 | 2 |
|||
| 2002-03 | England | International Friendly | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2002-03 | England | UEFA European Championship | 1 | ||||
| 2003-04 | England | International Friendly | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2003-04 | England | UEFA European Championship | 1 | ||||
| 2004-05 | England | International Friendly | 1 |
||||
| 2007-08 | England | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 2008-09 | England | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 2008-09 | England | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 2009-10 | England | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 2009-10 | England | International Friendly | 3 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 May 1997 | Portugal v England | L | 3-0 | UEFA U18 | 2nd round group 3 |
| 09 Sep 1997 | England v Yugoslavia | D | 0-0 | UEFA U18 | Preliminary |
| 11 Oct 1997 | Yugoslavia v England | W | 0-4 | UEFA U18 | Group 5 |
| 26 Oct 1997 | Russia v England | L | 2-1 | UEFA U18 | Group 5 |
| 14 Nov 1997 | England v Russia | W | 3-2 | UEFA U18 | Group 5 |
| 26 Mar 1998 | England v France | W | 3-0 | UEFA Under 18 | 2nd round group 3 |
| 23 Apr 1998 | France v England | L | 1-0 | UEFA U18 | 2nd round group 3 |
| 19 Jul 1998 | Cyprus v England | W | 1-2 | UEFA Under 18 | Final group B |
| 21 Jul 1998 | Republic of Ireland v England | W | 0-1 | UEFA U18 | Final group B |
| 23 Jul 1998 | England v Croatia | L | 0-3 | UEFA U18 | Final group B |
| 04 Sep 1998 | Sweden v England | W | 0-2 | UEFA Under-21 | Group 5 |
| 09 Oct 1998 | England v Bulgaria | W | 1-0 | UEFA Under-21 | Group 5 |
| 13 Oct 1998 | Luxembourg v England | W | 0-5 | UEFA Under-21 | Group 5 |
| 09 Feb 1999 | England v France | W | 2-1 | Under-21 | |
| 03 Sep 1999 | England v Luxembourg | W | 5-0 | UEFA Under-21 | Group 5 |
| 07 Sep 1999 | Poland v England | L | 3-1 | UEFA Under-21 | Group 5 |
| 08 Oct 1999 | England v Denmark | W | 4-1 | Under-21 | |
| 14 Nov 2000 | Italy v England | D | 0-0 | Under-21 | |
| 27 Feb 2001 | England v Spain | L | 0-4 | Under-21 | |
| 24 May 2001 | England v Mexico | W | 3-0 | Under-21 | |
| 05 Jun 2001 | Greece v England | L | 3-1 | UEFA Under-21 | Group 9 |
| 22 May 2003 | South Africa v England | W | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Jun 2003 | England v Serbia and Montenegro | W | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 11 Jun 2003 | England v Slovakia | W | 2-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 7 |
| 20 Aug 2003 | England v Croatia | W | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
| 10 Sep 2003 | England v Liechtenstein | W | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 7 |
| 16 Nov 2003 | England v Denmark | L | 2-3 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Nov 2004 | Spain v England | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 06 Feb 2008 | England v Switzerland | W | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 10 Sep 2008 | Croatia v England | W | 1-4 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 11 Oct 2008 | England v Kazakhstan | W | 5-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 15 Oct 2008 | Belarus v England | W | 1-3 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 19 Nov 2008 | Germany v England | W | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 11 Feb 2009 | Spain v England | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 28 Mar 2009 | England v Slovakia | W | 4-0 | International Friendly | |
| 06 Jun 2009 | Kazakhstan v England | W | 0-4 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 05 Sep 2009 | England v Slovenia | W | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 09 Sep 2009 | England v Croatia | W | 5-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 14 Nov 2009 | Brazil v England | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Mar 2010 | England v Egypt | W | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
| 23 Jun 2010 | Slovenia v England | W | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group C |
| 27 Jun 2010 | Germany v England | L | 4-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals - Round of 16 |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.