Matthew Upson

Matthew Upson began his professional football career at Luton Town, signing in April 1996. After only one appearance, he moved to Arsenal in May 1997 for a fee of £2 million. At Arsenal, he faced competition from experienced defenders, and his opportunities were limited. He also sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury in 1999, which kept him out for a year. During his tenure at Arsenal, Upson had loan spells at Nottingham Forest in 2000, Crystal Palace in 2001, and Reading in 2002. He made 57 appearances across six seasons for Arsenal and was part of the squad that won the Premier League in 2001-02.

In January 2003, Upson joined Birmingham City, where he secured regular first-team football. After Birmingham City’s relegation in 2006, he moved to West Ham United in January 2007 for £7.5 million. He was appointed captain of West Ham in August 2009. During his time at West Ham, Upson was selected for England’s 2010 World Cup squad, scoring a goal in the tournament against Germany. Following West Ham’s relegation in 2011, Upson joined Stoke City, where he played in the UEFA Europa League.

He had a loan spell at Brighton & Hove Albion during the 2012-13 season, eventually joining them permanently in 2013 and being named the club’s Player of the Year in 2013-14. Upson then signed with Leicester City in 2014 and later with Milton Keynes Dons in 2015, where he made his final professional football appearances before retiring in 2016. Post-retirement, Upson has worked as a football pundit for BBC’s Match of the Day, including during their World Cup coverage in 2018 and 2022.