Bradford City Sign Portsmouth Defender Hayden Matthews on Loan

Bradford City have moved to bolster their back line with the season-long loan signing of Portsmouth defender Hayden Matthews.

The 22-year-old centre-back, capped once by Australia, arrives at Mbanq Valley Parade looking to restart a career that has stalled more through misfortune than ability. Portsmouth paid £1.25m to bring him in from Sydney FC in January 2025, a statement fee that underlined his reputation as a long-term prospect. Since then, though, injuries have repeatedly checked his progress.

Matthews has made 20 appearances for Pompey, flashes of promise scattered between spells in the treatment room. His last competitive outing came in the 1-1 draw with Birmingham at Fratton Park on the final day of last season, a reminder of how long he has been waiting for a clear run of games.

Bradford are ready to give him exactly that. He becomes the club’s third recent loan addition, following the arrivals of QPR midfielder Kieran Morgan and Blackburn Rovers defender George Pratt, as the squad takes on a sharper, more youthful edge.

A once-capped international with a point to prove, a club intent on climbing, and a season stretching out in front of them. Matthews now has the platform. What he makes of it could shape Bradford’s defensive steel for the months ahead.