Matt Dibley-Dias
Personal information
Full name Matthew Max Dibley-Dias
Date of birth (2003-10-29) 29 October 2003
Place of birth Lower Hutt, New Zealand
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[1]
Position(s) Central midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Fulham
Number 49
Youth career
2008–2011 West Ham United
2011–2016 Brentford
2016– Fulham
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022– Fulham 0 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:16, 2 November 2023 (UTC)

Matthew Max Dibley-Dias (born 29 October 2003) is a New Zealand footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Premier League club Fulham.

Early life and family

Dibley-Dias was born in Lower Hutt, New Zealand to a Brazilian father and a New Zealand mother. He moved to England with his family at a young age.[2][3] He is the grandson of Brazilian footballer Manoelzinho,[4] and is eligible to represent Portugal and Brazil internationally through his father.[5][6]

Career

Dibley-Dias has been described as "in strong form for Fulham’s U-21 side and as "being touted as a first-team player in waiting".[7] He mainly operates as a midfielder and is known for his long-shooting ability.[8][2]

He joined the youth academy of English Premier League side Fulham at the age of fourteen,[9] and signed a three-year professional contract with the club in September 2021.[2] In 2023 he signed a contract extension to 2027.[10] He received the Johnny Haynes academy player of the year award for the 2022/23 season.[11] He has appeared on Fulham's bench twice, at the end of their 2022–23 Premier League season and for their 2023–24 season opener.[5]

He accepted a call-up to play in friendly matches on behalf of the All Whites in October 2023, but was unable to play due to a hamstring injury.[5][12] All Whites coach Darren Bazeley said the injury was a "real shame".[12] The New Zealand Herald noted that Dibley-Dias "has been pursued by Bazeley and New Zealand Football for a long time".[13] He had previously rejected an offer to play for New Zealand at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup due to opportunities with Fulham.[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Matt Dibley-Dias". Fulham F.C. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 "Kiwi midfielder Matt Dibley-Dias signs pro football contract for English club Fulham". Stuff. 28 September 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  3. ↑ Robinson, Nick (29 September 2023). "Squad Yarns & Preview". The Niche Cache. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  4. ↑ "Matt Dibley-Dias: The Story So Far". Fulham FC. 22 June 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Voerman, Andrew (22 September 2023). "All Whites secure promising Fulham midfielder Matt Dibley-Dias for October friendlies". Stuff. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  6. ↑ Braga, Thiago (18 April 2021). "Neto de ex-jogador do Corinthians brilha na Inglaterra; seleções já sondam". UOL. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  7. ↑ "Dibley-Dias on verge of breaking into English Premier League". Friends of Football NZ. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  8. ↑ "Silva's faith in Fulham's future". The Athletic. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023.
  9. ↑ Vegas, Paul (9 September 2023). "Matt Dibley-Dias delighted penning new deal". Tribal Football. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  10. 1 2 Voerman, Andrew (17 September 2023). "Darren Bazeley eager to meet dual-national prospects around All Whites match in London". The Post. Wellington. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  11. ↑ "Bazeley confirms Fulham teenager will join All Whites for October internationals". Friends of Football. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  12. 1 2 Rollo, Phillip (12 October 2023). "Fulham teenager Matt Dibley-Dias ruled out of All Whites matches". Stuff. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  13. ↑ "Teenage Premier League midfielder included in All Whites squad for first time, Sarpreet Singh also returns for October games". The New Zealand Herald. 29 September 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.