Sydney FC defender Hayden Matthews admits he’s still in shock following the news of his maiden call-up for Socceroos duty.
The 20-year-old has become an ever-present at the heart of the Sky Blues’ defence under head coach Ufuk Talay despite only making his debut in the 2023-24 campaign and having played just 24 games in all competitions.
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“It was a text message,” said Matthews, recounting how he found out the news that he’d soon be joining the national team training camp for the crucial World Cup qualifiers against Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
“I’ve come down the stairs and my phone was there on charge, and I’ve looked at it and I’ve gone ‘mum, mum, you won’t believe this!’
He continued: “I read it to her and then we had a really good moment and a nice embrace.”
Matthews’ rise from academy prospect to first-team regular has been a true success story for all involved at Sydney FC.
After making his debut during a 4-0 win over Newcastle Jets during the 2023-24 Isuzu UTE A-League campaign, Matthews was soon rewarded with a new contract at the club and hasn’t looked back.
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So far this season, the tall central defender has played every minute available to him in the Isuzu UTE A-League and has featured prominently for Sydney FC in their ACL Two campaign.
His performances have unsurprisingly caught the eye of Socceroos head coach Tony Popovic.
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“It’s probably come a little bit quicker than I expected, but it’s an unbelievable feeling and a really great accomplishment for me and my family.
“I think if you had told me 12 months ago, I would have laughed at you!
He added: “If you had told me 12 months ago, that’d be called up to the Socceroos, I wouldn’t have taken you seriously purely because of where I was at.”
The subject of intense transfer speculation from clubs overseas during the off-season, Matthews’ selection for the Australian national team is only likely to lengthen the list of clubs looking to one day secure his services.
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“It fills me with confidence,” said Matthews of his call-up. “And it should also fill everyone in the academy with confidence.
“All the kids all the way down to 13, should, I guess, look up to the story and see how well and successful the club is doing and see that there’s a really good pathway for them to develop.”
Joining Matthews in the squad will be Sydney FC teammates Rhyan Grant and Anthony Caceres, the latter of whom also received his first ever national team call-up while Sky Blues captain Grant returns to the Socceroos set-up for the first time since 2022.
Currently sat second in their World Cup qualifying group, the Socceroos face third-placed Saudi Arabia in Melbourne on November 14 before then travelling away to Bahrain on November 20.
First up for Matthews, Caceres and Grant though will be a first home league fixture of the season, as Sydney FC take on Macarthur Bulls in Round 4 of the Isuzu UTE A-League on Sunday.
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