REMI MATTHEWS

Full Name: Remi Luke Matthews

Born: 10 February 1994

1. Came from: Norwich City   Went to: Norwich City

1. First game: 21 October 2017   Last game: 25 November 2017

2. Came from: Norwich City   Went to: Norwich City

2. First game: 30 December 2017   Last game: 05 May 2018

Appearances: 27 (27/0)   Goals: 0

Born in Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk, Matthews began his career at Norwich City's academy at the age of 10.

Having progressed through the youth ranks at Carrow Road, he was loaned to Burton Albion in League Two in November 2014, where he was included in five match-day squads in his five weeks at the club without making his Football League debut.

In July 2015 he returned to Burton, who by then had been promoted to League One, on a half-season loan and made his League debut in the first game of the new season, the first of six appearances for the Staffordshire club.

In March 2016 he returned to League One, this time with Doncaster Rovers for the remainder of the season, making his debut the following day, the first of nine appearances.

Matthews then moved north of the border in July 2016, signing for Scottish Premiership club Hamilton Academical on a season-long loan, having also signed a new two-year contract with the option of another year at Norwich. In total he played 27 times in Accies' season-long escape from relegation.

In October 2017 he joined Argyle on an emergency loan deal and 24 hours later donned the gloves in a match at AFC Wimbledon because Argyle had all three professional goalkeepers (Luke McCormick, Robbert te Loeke & Kyle Letheren) out injured. (Argyle's goalkeeping crisis had resulted in second-year apprentice Mike Cooper making his debut in the second half at Blackburn in the previous fixture, when Letheren went off injured at half-time.) Matthews' debut for Argyle was a memorable one - a clean sheet for him and the first win in 15 for his teammates.

Matthews was a popular and effective stand-in during his time at Home Park and cemented his reputation further with a penalty save to ensure a 1-0 win at Bradford City in November 2017. However, Argyle's goalkeeping curse struck again when he was injured in a collision with a Portsmouth player, late on, in the 1-0 defeat at Fratton Park near the end of the month. Matthews' emergency loan ended when he returned to Carrow Road for treatment two days later. At this time, not only were the club's regular keepers still out injured but apprentice Cooper was also sidelined with a broken finger, so Argyle signed their sixth goalkeeper of the season (Will Mannion from Hull City) in the final week of November.

With McCormick fit enough to play in an FA Cup game at Bradford in early December, Mannion returned to Hull after just one appearance. However, Argyle's captain suffered a relapse in the following week's training (later requiring surgery) and Argyle signed their seventh 'keeper of the season, Kelle Roos from Derby County. Roos played four games for Argyle before the popular Matthews, who had been closely following Argyle's fortunes, re-signed after his own recovery from injury. This was an emergency arrangement to cover the last game of 2017, followed by a loan for the rest of the season once the January transfer window opened.

In his second spell at Home Park, Matthews played a further 20 times as Derek Adams' side fell short of a late play-off charge. His spell included an oddly prophetic moment in a home game against bottom-of-the-table Bury in January 2018, when future Argyle manager Ryan Lowe was sent-off (having only come on as substitute) for a late challenge on Matthews. Incidentally, the Bury side also contained Danny Mayor.

Returning to Norwich at the end of the season, he initially joined Championship club Bolton Wanderers on loan, with the deal made permanent when their financial-woes-induced transfer embargo was lifted. In total he made 58 appearances for the Trotters, including an FA Cup 1st Round tie at home to Argyle in November 2019, when he was beaten by Callum McFadzean as Argyle recorded a 1-0 win.

In June 2020, Matthews was one of 14 senior players released at the end of their Bolton contracts, and in August he moved to Sunderland on a one-year deal, where he made 11 appearances. A year later he joined Premier League Crystal Palace on a two-year contract and prior to the start of the 2022-23 season, was sent on a season-long loan to Scottish club St Johnstone, where he made 35 appearances and linked up with ex-Pilgrim Graham Carey.

Having signed a contract extension at Selhurst Park, he returned to Palace for the following season, and made his first appearance for the club, and a Premier League debut, when he came on as a substitute in a 2-1 home defeat against Liverpool in December 2023, aged 29.

In June 2024, Matthews signed a further a one-year contract extension at Selhurst Park.