# Matthew Upson
**Matthew James Upson** (born 1979) is an English former professional footballer who played as a center back, winning 21 England caps over seven years and appearing at the 2010 World Cup. He began his career at Luton Town before a £2 million move to Arsenal in May 1997, and later played for Birmingham City, West Ham United, Stoke City, Brighton & Hove Albion, Leicester City, and Milton Keynes Dons before retiring on 1 July 2016.[1](https://icdb.tv/stats/1222/Matthew-Upson) • [2](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/7029/matthew-upson) • [3](https://www.sofascore.com/football/player/matthew-upson/569)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1979, Stowmarket, England; 1.85 m, left-footed[4](https://www.11v11.com/players/matthew-upson-17/) |
| Position | Centre back (defender)[1](https://icdb.tv/stats/1222/Matthew-Upson) |
| Breakthrough move | Luton Town to Arsenal, 10 May 1997, £2.0m[2](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/7029/matthew-upson) |
| Peak clubs | Birmingham City (January 2003, £3.0m) and West Ham United (January 2007, £6.0m)[2](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/7029/matthew-upson) |
| West Ham record | 145 senior appearances and 4 goals, 2007 to 2011[5](https://allwhufc.com/players/matthew-upson) |
| England | 21 caps across seven years; played at the 2010 World Cup[6](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/world-cup-2022-bbc-presenters-pundits-commentators-tv-radio) |
| Retirement | 1 July 2016, after a final season with Milton Keynes Dons[3](https://www.sofascore.com/football/player/matthew-upson/569) |
## Early career and Arsenal
Upson joined Luton Town on 24 April 1996 and made only one full first-team appearance for the [Bedfordshire](https://www.edgepedia.org/bedfordshire) club before Arsenal signed him for £2 million in May 1997, when he was 18.[4](https://www.11v11.com/players/matthew-upson-17/) • [7](https://hattersheritage.co.uk/players/matt-upson-p953) • [8](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/youd-walk-out-feeling-10-feet-tall-with-patrick-vieira-in-front-of-you-players-were-scared-to-face-him-and-that-made-a-huge-difference-matthew-upson-opens-up-on-his-greatest-arsenal-team-mates) His task at Highbury was to displace one of [Tony Adams](https://www.edgepedia.org/tony-adams), Steve Bould, or [Martin Keown](https://www.edgepedia.org/martin-keown) at the heart of the defense, and the longevity of that trio limited his opportunities.[8](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/youd-walk-out-feeling-10-feet-tall-with-patrick-vieira-in-front-of-you-players-were-scared-to-face-him-and-that-made-a-huge-difference-matthew-upson-opens-up-on-his-greatest-arsenal-team-mates) Manager Arsène Wenger described him as one of the big defensive talents in England and said the club had bought him as a successor to Tony Adams.[9](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football-a-chance-to-forget-the-upson-downs-1075897.html)
**Injury and loans.** Upson ruptured a cruciate ligament in December 1999 and spent the first part of the 2000-01 season regaining fitness. He then went on loan to Nottingham Forest, where a single appearance in an unfamiliar midfield role ended early with a back injury, followed by a loan at Crystal Palace in which he featured regularly in the club's fight against relegation, and a further loan to Reading in late 2002.[4](https://www.11v11.com/players/matthew-upson-17/) Across six seasons at Arsenal he made 35 appearances in all competitions.[10](https://blog.woolwicharsenal.co.uk/archives/21095)
## Birmingham City
Upson moved to Birmingham City for £3 million on 22 January 2003, a transfer he later described as an escape from Highbury that revived his self-belief.[2](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/7029/matthew-upson) • [11](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/premier-league/selfbelief-the-key-as-upson-rises-to-blues-challenge-91903.html) At Birmingham he formed a central defensive partnership with Kenny Cunningham, taking on the more physical and aerial duties while Cunningham organized the pair, and the duo helped [Birmingham](https://www.edgepedia.org/birmingham) keep six clean sheets in nine games early in the 2003-04 season.[11](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/premier-league/selfbelief-the-key-as-upson-rises-to-blues-challenge-91903.html) His form earned regular England selection, and his Birmingham contract was extended to June 2008 in April 2006.[4](https://www.11v11.com/players/matthew-upson-17/)
## West Ham United
West Ham United signed Upson for £6 million on 31 January 2007, with a contract running to June 2011.[2](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/7029/matthew-upson) • [4](https://www.11v11.com/players/matthew-upson-17/) He played as a center back for the club from 2007 to 2011, making 145 senior appearances and scoring 4 goals.[5](https://allwhufc.com/players/matthew-upson) The 2007-08 season brought a run of consistency: he played in all 20 of West Ham's Premier League games up to early January 2008, every minute of them, and worked with a South African specialist in kinesiology, the scientific study of muscles and movement, to manage the injury problems that had marked his earlier career.[12](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/premier-league/upson-applies-science-in-quest-to-keep-fit-767856.html)
## England and the 2010 World Cup
Upson made his senior England debut in 2003 and accumulated 21 caps over seven years.[6](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/world-cup-2022-bbc-presenters-pundits-commentators-tv-radio) He was part of [Fabio Capello](https://www.edgepedia.org/fabio-capello)'s squad at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. After [Jamie Carragher](https://www.edgepedia.org/jamie-carragher) collected two yellow cards in the first two group games and was suspended, Capello preferred Upson at center back in the round-of-16 match against Germany.[13](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/jamie-carragher-called-talksport-after-i-said-he-was-a-bottler-it-made-great-radio-but-also-helped-me-to-see-things-more-from-the-perspective-of-the-players-broadcaster-adrian-durham-recalls-iconic-phone-in-from-liverpool-legend) Upson scored England's only goal in the 4-1 defeat, heading in seven minutes before half-time.[14](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/who-are-the-bbc-pundits-commentators-and-presenters-for-usa-vs-belgium) • [15](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/in-this-world-cup-everything-needs-to-work-if-the-big-man-upstairs-says-its-englands-time-then-its-englands-time-joe-cole-on-reflects-on-his-2010-three-lions-experience)
## Later career
After leaving West Ham in June 2011, Upson joined Stoke City on a two-year contract in August 2011, moved to Brighton & Hove Albion on loan in January 2013 and then permanently that July, signed for Leicester City in July 2014, and finished at Milton Keynes Dons, joining in July 2015 on a one-year contract.[4](https://www.11v11.com/players/matthew-upson-17/) • [3](https://www.sofascore.com/football/player/matthew-upson/569) He retired on 1 July 2016.[3](https://www.sofascore.com/football/player/matthew-upson/569)
## Media career
Since retiring, Upson has worked as a broadcaster and pundit. He is an occasional pundit for the BBC's Match of the Day, appeared on the channel's 2018 World Cup coverage, and has worked as a co-commentator and summary pundit on BBC radio and [Sky Sports](https://www.edgepedia.org/sky-sports) broadcasts.[6](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/world-cup-2022-bbc-presenters-pundits-commentators-tv-radio) • [1](https://icdb.tv/stats/1222/Matthew-Upson) In a 2025 FourFourTwo feature he reflected on his greatest Arsenal team-mates, describing the presence of [Patrick Vieira](https://www.edgepedia.org/patrick-vieira) and the quality of the Highbury sides he trained with.[8](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/youd-walk-out-feeling-10-feet-tall-with-patrick-vieira-in-front-of-you-players-were-scared-to-face-him-and-that-made-a-huge-difference-matthew-upson-opens-up-on-his-greatest-arsenal-team-mates)
His son Elijah Upson, an 18-year-old center back, signed his first professional contract with Arsenal in 2026, joining from [Tottenham](https://www.edgepedia.org/tottenham) 29 years after his father made the same move at the same age.[16](https://www.footballpresse.com/story/elijah-upson-explains-quitting-spurs-and-following-father-s-footsteps-with-arsenal-deal)
## References
1. [Matthew Upson, Commentator Profile, ICDb](https://icdb.tv/stats/1222/Matthew-Upson)
2. [Matthew Upson, Player Profile, Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/7029/matthew-upson)
3. [Matthew Upson stats and ratings, Sofascore](https://www.sofascore.com/football/player/matthew-upson/569)
4. [Matthew Upson Football Player Statistics, 11v11.com](https://www.11v11.com/players/matthew-upson-17/)
5. [Matthew Upson: England Defender 2007-2011, All WHUFC](https://allwhufc.com/players/matthew-upson)
6. [World Cup 2022: Who are the BBC presenters, pundits and commentators?, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/world-cup-2022-bbc-presenters-pundits-commentators-tv-radio)
7. [Matt Upson, Hatters Heritage, A History of Luton Town FC](https://hattersheritage.co.uk/players/matt-upson-p953)
8. [Matthew Upson opens up on his greatest Arsenal team-mates, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/youd-walk-out-feeling-10-feet-tall-with-patrick-vieira-in-front-of-you-players-were-scared-to-face-him-and-that-made-a-huge-difference-matthew-upson-opens-up-on-his-greatest-arsenal-team-mates)
9. [Football: A chance to forget the Upson downs, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football-a-chance-to-forget-the-upson-downs-1075897.html)
10. [Whatever happened to Matthew Upson?, The History of Arsenal (AISA)](https://blog.woolwicharsenal.co.uk/archives/21095)
11. [Self-belief the key as Upson rises to Blues challenge, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/premier-league/selfbelief-the-key-as-upson-rises-to-blues-challenge-91903.html)
12. [Upson applies science in quest to keep fit, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/premier-league/upson-applies-science-in-quest-to-keep-fit-767856.html)
13. [Adrian Durham recalls iconic Carragher phone-in, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/jamie-carragher-called-talksport-after-i-said-he-was-a-bottler-it-made-great-radio-but-also-helped-me-to-see-things-more-from-the-perspective-of-the-players-broadcaster-adrian-durham-recalls-iconic-phone-in-from-liverpool-legend)
14. [Who are the BBC pundits, commentators and presenters for USA vs Belgium?, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/who-are-the-bbc-pundits-commentators-and-presenters-for-usa-vs-belgium)
15. [Joe Cole reflects on his 2010 Three Lions experience, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/in-this-world-cup-everything-needs-to-work-if-the-big-man-upstairs-says-its-englands-time-then-its-englands-time-joe-cole-on-reflects-on-his-2010-three-lions-experience)
16. [Elijah Upson explains quitting Spurs and following father's footsteps with Arsenal deal, Football Presse](https://www.footballpresse.com/story/elijah-upson-explains-quitting-spurs-and-following-father-s-footsteps-with-arsenal-deal)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of the British Isles (modern era) › English footballers 2005–2014*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license