Matthew Rees (footballer)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Matthew Rees

| image =

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|09|02|df=y}}

| birth_place = Swansea, Wales

| height =

| position = Defender

| currentclub = Afan Lido

| years1 = 2000–2004 |clubs1 = Millwall |caps1 = 0 |goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2003 |clubs2 = → Aldershot Town (loan) |caps2 = 7 |goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2004 |clubs3 = → Dagenham & Redbridge (loan) |caps3 = 1 |goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2004 |clubs4 = → Swansea City (loan) |caps4 = 3 |goals4 = 1

| years5 = 2004 |clubs5 = Crawley Town |caps5 = 5 |goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2004 |clubs6 = Newport County |caps6 = 3 |goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2004–2011 |clubs7 = Port Talbot Town |caps7 = 193 |goals7 = 12

| years8 = 2011–2012 |clubs8 = Neath |caps8 = 27 |goals8 = 1

| years9 = 2012–2013 |clubs9 = Carmarthen Town |caps9 = 26 |goals9 = 0

| years10 = 2013–2014 |clubs10 = Afan Lido |caps10 = 12 |goals10 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2002–2003

| nationalyears2 = 2003

| nationalteam1 = Wales U21

| nationalteam2 = Wales U20

| nationalcaps1 = 2

| nationalcaps2 = 1

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalgoals2 = 0

}}

Matthew Rees (born 2 September 1982) is a Welsh former footballer who last played for Welsh Premier League side Afan Lido. A former Wales under-21 international, he began his career with Millwall without making a first team appearance. After loan spells with Aldershot Town and Dagenham & Redbridge, he made his debut in the Football League with Swansea City in 2004, making three appearances. He has also had spells with Crawley Town, Newport County, and Carmarthen Town.

Club career

Rees began his career as a youth player at Millwall, turning professional in April 2000,{{Cite web|url=http://www.swanseacity.net/page/PastPlayers/0,,10354~1284908,00.html |title=Past players |publisher=Swansea City A.F.C. |accessdate=20 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710081737/http://www.swanseacity.net/page/PastPlayers/0%2C%2C10354~1284908%2C00.html |archivedate=10 July 2010 }} and later captained the club's reserve side. Having not made a first team appearance for the club, he was allowed to join Conference National side Aldershot Town on loan in October 2003. He made his debut for the club in a 3–1 over Halifax Town on 11 October 2003,{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/3156084.stm |title=Aldershot 3–1 Halifax |publisher=BBC Sport |date=11 October 2003 |accessdate=20 July 2010}} going on to make ten appearances in all competitions before being recalled from his loan spell by Millwall to cover for an injury crisis after two months.{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/millwall/3301777.stm |title=Lions recall Rees from Aldershot |publisher=BBC Sport |date=8 December 2003 |accessdate=20 July 2010}} In January 2004, he returned to the Conference on loan with Dagenham & Redbridge,{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dagenham_and_redbridge/3425721.stm |title=Daggers net Rees |publisher=BBC Sport |date=24 January 2004 |accessdate=20 July 2010}} playing in just one match for the club, a 2–0 defeat to Exeter City.{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/3404011.stm |title=Dagenham 0–2 Exeter |publisher=BBC Sport |date=24 January 2004 |accessdate=20 July 2010}} After returning to Millwall, Rees was sent out on loan for the third time during the 2003–04 season, joining his home town club Swansea City. He made a goalscoring debut during a 2–1 defeat to Lincoln City on 10 April 2004{{cite web

|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/3593271.stm

|title=Lincoln 2-1 Swansea

|publisher=BBC

|date=10 April 2004 |accessdate=8 September 2015}} and made two more appearances before the end of the season.

Released by Millwall on his return, Rees joined Crawley Town on non-contract terms.{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/crawley_town/3572432.stm |title=Crawley make Rees capture |publisher=BBC Sport |date=17 August 2004 |accessdate=20 July 2010}} He remained with the club until November and, after a brief spell with Newport County, joined Welsh Premier League side Port Talbot Town in December 2004. To date, Rees has made over 150 appearances for the club, becoming the club's all-time record Welsh Premier appearance holder in December 2009,{{Cite web |url=http://www.welsh-premier.com/index.php/clubs |title=Port Talbot Town all-time appearance records |publisher=welsh-premier.com |accessdate=20 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100103083008/http://welsh-premier.com/index.php/clubs |archivedate=3 January 2010 |df=dmy-all }} and was named Welsh Premier League player of the month for September 2006.{{Cite news |url=http://www.welshpremier.com/Pom0607Gallery.ink |title=Player of the Month |publisher=welshpremier.com |accessdate=20 July 2010 |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720112602/http://www.welshpremier.com/Pom0607Gallery.ink |archivedate=20 July 2011 |df=dmy-all }}

He joined Carmarthen Town in June 2012 after the liquidation of Neath and went on to make 73 appearances for the club, scoring 1 goal.{{cite web|title=Three more Eagles find a new nest|url=http://welsh-premier.com/index.php/lead-story/4910-three-more-eagles-find-a-new-nest|publisher=Welsh Premier League|accessdate=15 June 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216183509/http://welsh-premier.com/index.php/lead-story/4910-three-more-eagles-find-a-new-nest|archivedate=16 December 2013|df=dmy-all}}

In August 2013 he joined Afan Lido.{{Cite web|url=http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/afanlidofootballclub/news/lido-squad-finalises-1021286.html|title=Lido Squad Finalises}}

International career

Rees made his debut for the Wales under-21 side on 6 September 2002 as a substitute in place of Rhys Day during a 2–1 defeat to Finland.{{Cite news|url=http://www.faw.org.uk/fixtures-events/results/match/77 |title=Finland 2–1 Wales |publisher=Football Association of Wales |date=6 September 2002 |accessdate=20 July 2010 |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110527210410/http://www.faw.org.uk/fixtures-events/results/match/77 |archivedate=27 May 2011 }} He made two further appearances during the 2002–03 season, during 0–0 draw with South Korea,{{Cite news |title=Wales 0–0 Korea |publisher=Football Association of Wales |date=11 February 2003 }} in a game designated as an under-20 international,{{Cite news |title=Wales U20 vs South Korea U20 |publisher=Football Association of Wales |date=11 February 2003 }} and a 1–0 win over Azerbaijan.{{Cite news |title=Wales 1–0 Azerbaijan |publisher=Football Association of Wales |date=28 March 2003 }} In May 2003, despite having not made a professional appearance at club level, he was called up to the senior Wales squad for a friendly match against the United States,{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/wales/3043571.stm |title=Howarth adds to Wales injury woes |publisher=BBC Sport |date=20 May 2003 |accessdate=20 July 2010}} remaining on the bench during a 2–0 defeat.