Matthew James Upson English footballer, defender Date of Birth: 18.04.1979 Country: Great Britain

1. Early Life and Career
2. Arsenal Years
3. Premier League Triumph
4. Loan Spells and Sale
5. Birmingham City
6. Move to West Ham United
7. International Career
8. Return to the National Team
9. International Goal

Early Life and Career

Matthew Upson was born on April 18, 1979, in Hartismere, Suffolk, England. He began his footballing career in the youth academy of Luton Town in 1994. In April 1996, he signed a professional contract with the club but made only one first-team appearance, against Rotherham United in August 1996.

Arsenal Years

In May 1997, Upson joined Arsenal for a £2 million fee. However, due to the established presence of Tony Adams, Steve Bould, and Martin Keown in the Arsenal defense and his own injury struggles, Upson failed to break into the first team. In 1999, he suffered a cruciate ligament injury that kept him out of action for a year. He spent time on loan at Nottingham Forest in 2000 and Crystal Palace in 2001.

Premier League Triumph

During Arsenal's invincible 2001/02 Premier League season, Upson made 22 appearances for the Gunners, including 14 in the league, earning him a Premier League winners' medal. In February 2002, he suffered a broken leg that ruled him out for the rest of the season, including Arsenal's FA Cup triumph.

Loan Spells and Sale

After recovering from his injury, Upson moved to Reading on a three-month loan in September 2002. He scored his first professional goal for Reading in a League Cup match against Cambridge United. With Sol Campbell and Kolo Touré establishing themselves as Arsenal's starting center-back pairing, Upson remained on the fringes of the team. In January 2003, he was sold to Birmingham City for £1 million.

Birmingham City

Birmingham City signed Upson for a fee that could potentially rise to £3 million, based on his performance. He made a significant contribution to the team, helping them reach the 2006 League Cup final. However, an ankle injury suffered in April 2006 ruled him out for the remainder of the season, which culminated in Birmingham's relegation to the Championship.

Move to West Ham United

In January 2007, West Ham United made a £4 million offer for Upson, which was initially rejected by Birmingham. An improved bid of £6 million was accepted on the final day of the transfer window. West Ham signed Upson to a four-and-a-half-year contract. Upson scored his first goal for the Hammers against Premier League champions Manchester United on December 29, 2007. He became the team captain in August 2009 following the departure of Lucas Neill.

International Career

Upson earned 12 caps for England U21s, scoring twice. His impressive performances for Birmingham City in 2002/03 earned him a call-up to the England national team, making his debut against South Africa in May 2003. He made a total of seven appearances for England while playing for Birmingham.

Return to the National Team

In February 2008, Fabio Capello included Upson in the squad for a friendly against Switzerland at Wembley. He started alongside Rio Ferdinand in central defense. It was Upson's eighth cap and his first in nearly four years. He then played the full match against Kazakhstan, with John Terry out injured.

International Goal

Upson scored his first goal for England in a 2-1 friendly victory over Germany on November 19, 2008. His performance earned him the man of the match award from ITV.