Matthew Craig
{{Short description|Scottish footballer}}
{{For|the American baseball player|Matt Craig}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Matthew Craig
| image =
| caption =
| full_name = Matthew George Craig{{Cite web|url=http://www.premierleague.com/news/2786707|title=2022/23 Premier League squad lists|website=www.premierleague.com}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|2003|4|16}}
| birth_place = Barnet, England
| height =
| position = Defensive midfielder
| currentclub = Tottenham Hotspur
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Watford
| youthyears2 = 2015–2023
| youthclubs2 = Tottenham Hotspur
| years1 = 2023–
| clubs1 = Tottenham Hotspur
| caps1 = 1
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2024
| clubs2 = → Doncaster Rovers (loan)
| caps2 = 18
| goals2 = 1
| years3 = 2024–2025
| clubs3 = → Barnsley (loan)
| caps3 = 14
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2025
| clubs4 = → Mansfield Town (loan)
| caps4 = 5
| goals4 = 1
| nationalyears1 = 2018–2019
| nationalteam1 = Scotland U16
| nationalcaps1 = 6
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2021–2022
| nationalteam2 = Scotland U19
| nationalcaps2 = 6
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 2022–
| nationalteam3 = Scotland U21
| nationalcaps3 = 1
| nationalgoals3 = 0
| club-update = 13:29, 13 May 2025 (UTC)
| ntupdate = 19:24, 28 May 2023 (UTC)
}}
Matthew George Craig (born 16 April 2003) is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for {{English football updater|TottenhH}} club Tottenham Hotspur. Born in England, he is a youth international for Scotland.
Background
Craig and his older identical twin brother Michael were born two minutes apart on 16 March 2003. Both of their grandfathers hail from Scotland including Aberdeen born Ron Still who top scored for Notts County one season and also played for Brentford, both in the mid-1960s.{{Cite web|url=https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/who-are-the-scottish-twins-in-the-spurs-squad-3353258|title=Michael and Matthew Craig: Who are the Scottish twins in the Tottenham squad for Paços de Ferreira clash?|date=19 August 2021|website=The Scotsman}}
Career
Craig is a youth product of Watford who moved to the academy of Tottenham Hotspur with his brother at the age of 12.{{Cite web|url=https://www.football.london/tottenham-hotspur-fc/news/matthew-craig-tottenham-hotspur-training-25397637|title=Lowdown on Matthew Craig, the 19-year-old midfielder seen in Tottenham training|first=Will|last=Freeman|date=1 November 2022|website=Football.London}} On 5 May 2021, he signed a professional contract with Spurs keeping him until 2023.{{Cite web|url=https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/2021/5/5/22421077/tottenham-hotspur-news-youth-academy-graduates-sign-contract-daniel-levy|title=Tottenham Hotspur sign four academy players to professional contracts|first=Sean|last=Cahill|date=5 May 2021|website=Cartilage Free Captain}} He made his senior and professional debut with Tottenham Hotspur as a late substitute in a 4–1 Premier League win over Leeds United on 28 May 2023.{{Cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12886941/leeds-1-4-tottenham-harry-kane-nets-twice-to-relegate-leeds-from-premier-league-but-spurs-miss-out-on-europe|title=Leeds 1-4 Tottenham: Harry Kane nets twice to relegate Leeds from Premier League but Spurs miss out on Europe|website=Sky Sports}}
On 9 January 2024, Craig joined League Two club Doncaster Rovers on loan until the end of the season.{{cite web|url=https://www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk/news/2024/january/matthew-craig-signs/|title=Rovers sign Tottenham midfielder Matthew Craig on loan|website=www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk|date=9 January 2024|accessdate=9 January 2024}}
On 22 July 2024, Craig joined League One club Barnsley F.C.
On 9 January 2025, Craig was recalled from his loan at Barnsley, allowing him to join fellow League One side Mansfield Town on loan for the remainder of the season. {{cite web|url=https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2025/january/09/stags-secure-premier-league-midfielder-on-loan/|title=Stags secure Premier League midfielder on loan|website=www.mansfieldtown.net|date=9 January 2025|accessdate=9 January 2025}}
International career
Born in England, Craig has represented Scotland at age group level. He said of he and his brother's international allegiance, "Both of my grandfathers are Scottish. Obviously, once Scotland came calling, it was a big honour to be selected here. There wasn't a debate".{{cite web|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/22489474.matthew-craig-reveals-twin-ambitions-make-history-scotland|title=Matthew Craig reveals his twin ambitions to make history for Scotland|website=heraldscotland.com|date=21 September 2022|accessdate=2 May 2024}}
Career statistics
=Club=
{{updated|27 April 2025}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National Cup !colspan="2"|League Cup !colspan="2"|Europe !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan=4|Tottenham Hotspur U21
|2021–22{{soccerbase season|144255|2021|access-date=30 May 2023}} |colspan=3|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 1{{efn|name=EFLT|Appearance(s) in the EFL Trophy}} | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| 2022–23{{soccerbase season|144255|2022|access-date=30 May 2023}}
|colspan=3|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 2{{efn|name=EFLT|Appearance(s) in the EFL Trophy}} | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||||
| 2023–24{{soccerbase season|144255|2023|access-date=30 May 2023}}
|colspan=3|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 1{{efn|name=EFLT|Appearance(s) in the EFL Trophy}} | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| colspan="2"|Total
!0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Tottenham Hotspur
|1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 1 | 0 | ||
| Doncaster Rovers (loan)
|18 | 1 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 2{{efn|name=L2P|Appearance(s) in the League Two play-offs}} | 0 | 20 | 1 | ||||
| Barnsley (loan)
|2024–25{{soccerbase season|144255|2024|access-date=30 May 2023}} |14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
| Mansfield Town (loan)
|League One |5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | ||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!38 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 47 | 2 |
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerway|matthew-craig/597593}}
- {{SFA player|512257}}
{{Tottenham Hotspur F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Craig, Matthew}}
Category:Footballers from the London Borough of Barnet
Category:Scottish men's footballers
Category:Scotland men's under-21 international footballers
Category:Scotland men's youth international footballers
Category:English men's footballers
Category:English people of Scottish descent
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Tottenham Hotspur F.C. players
Category:Doncaster Rovers F.C. players
Category:Barnsley F.C. players
Category:Mansfield Town F.C. players
Category:Premier League players
Category:English Football League players