A PROFESSIONAL debut for your hometown club will always live long in the memory, but for Ajay Matthews and his family there was special significance after the teenage striker's maiden Middlesbrough outing.
The highly-rated 17-year-old Teessider got his first taste of senior action when he came off the bench against Leeds United - for whom his dad, Lee, played for in the Premier League 26 years ago.
Matthews Snr, an England youth international, made his top flight debut early in 1998, coming off the bench and replacing Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in a 2-0 win at Crystal Palace. Two more Leeds appearances followed that year before a £100,000 move to Bristol City later followed.
He would go on to play for Port Vale, Crewe and Livingston but was forced to retire at just 28 through injury - before going on to establish himself as a leading and well respected agent. He owns Sports Management International, whose clients include Hayden Hackney, Ben Gibson, Jack Clarke and countless others.
What a story..Massive congratulations #ajaymatthews who made his hometown club @Boro @SkyBetChamp debut last night after coming on against @LUFC where his dad (our owner) Lee Matthews started his football career and made his @premierleague debut. Unbelievable achievement Ajay ❤️ pic.twitter.com/7O6Ea0DIPx
— Sport Management Int (@SMi_World) April 23, 2024
Suffice to say, then, that the career of Ajay - who doesn't turn 18 until June and was born a month after Middlesbrough's 2006 UEFA Cup final defeat to Sevilla, is in safe hands.
The teenager's first team debut came on the back of a hugely impressive season in the Boro youth ranks, with five goals and three assists in just seven outings for the Under-18s and four goals and two assists in 12 appearances for the Under-21s - form that has reportedly turned heads of clubs on the continent.
And a debut - always a special occasion - almost became even more memorable as Boro launched a late attack on the Leeds goal.
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“It was great to get Ajay on - giving youngsters opportunities is what this club is all about and what we love doing as a coaching team," said head coach Michael Carrick after handing the striker his debut.
"Obviously we want to keep a lid on it a little bit as well. It’s always great for me to be able to give young lads an opportunity and we thought he deserved one.
"He’s a goalscorer and he’s proven that over the course of the season. At this stage of the season and in the game, it was kind of roll of the dice a little bit.
"He had a little sniff to almost get one as well after we’d got one back. He’s the same as many of the other younger boys - they’re doing really well and we keep pushing them so that they keep improving.
"We want them to keep knocking on the door with their performances. We’d love to give them all a chance, and it’s about picking the right moment to do that when they deserve it.”
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