Goalkeeper Matthew Cox has committed his long-term future to the Club. The 19-year-old signed a six-year contract earlier today, Friday 8 July, with the deal also including a club option for an extra year.
It completes a memorable few weeks for the teenager, who was placed into Brentford’s First Team squad before being named in the Team of the Tournament as England won the UEFA European Under-19 Championships.
Head Coach Thomas Frank said: “I am very pleased that Matt has signed a new long-term contract with us. I think he is a very talented player that has developed very well over the last year. That is a big credit to everyone Matt has been working with here, especially Jani [Viander] and Manu [Sotelo], our goalkeeper coaches.
“I think Matt has all the attributes a modern goalkeeper needs. He has very good positioning when coming for crosses and is a great shot stopper and with the ball at his feet. We all know with young players it is all about developing mentality and decision making. We have a big belief we can help Matt with that and he can continue to improve.”
Manu, Brentford Goalkeeper Coach, added: “Matt is developing very quickly as a keeper. Working with him every day, I can see he has attributes like a hunger to acquire new tools in every training session, a mature personality and outstanding learning skills. As a keeper, he fits perfectly with our style of play. He came as a young keeper with big potential and now that is becoming a reality. He still a long path to walk with us but he has an exciting future ahead of him.”
Matthew is just starting his second season with The Bees after joining from AFC Wimbledon last summer. He was part of the Brentford B group and played 18 times last season, while regularly training with the First Team goalkeepers. He was an unused substitute for the First Team on 12 occasions last term.
Matthew started out at Chelsea at the age of eight and moved to AFC Wimbledon when he was 14. He progressed rapidly with the South London side and signed his first professional contract at the age of 17. He joined Brentford a year later.
Matthew is also progressing through the England youth ranks. He played for the Under-17 side in February 2020 and has also played at Under-20 level. He was first choice for England Under-19 during their latest campaign.
The England team reached the UEFA European Under-19 Championships and went all the way. They beat Israel in the final to lift the trophy and also qualified for the 2023 FIFA Under-20 World Cup, which will be played in Indonesia next summer. Matthew played in four of England’s five wins and earned a spot in the Team of the Tournament. He has 14 England appearances to his credit so far.