Matteo: Dominic

2000-2004 (Player Details)

Defender/Midfield

Born: Dumfries: 24-04-1974

Debut: v AC Milan (h): 19-09-2000

6’1” 12st 6lb (2003)

#34 in 100 Greatest LUFC Players Ever

Dominic Matteo was born in Scotland with English parents and Italian grandparents. He was first spotted by Liverpool scouts when playing for Birkdale United and he took the eye of Kenny Dalglish while he was watching his son Paul in action. Matteo joined Liverpool's School of Excellence with another eleven year old - Robbie Fowler. He made his Liverpool debut at Manchester City in October 1993 where he played on the left of midfield. Over the next couple of seasons he played in a variety of roles including left back, centre back and also in the midfield. He didn't have a set position in the side as the Liverpool staff went about working out which position would suit him best. He started the 1995-96 season as a sweeper and excelled to the extent that he was handed his first international call up for England. Unfortunately his subsequent England call-ups coincided with injury problems and in the following seasons he was unable to make the impact on the international stage that many felt his talent deserving of. Gérard Houllier saw him as a left back in his Liverpool restructuring plans, issuing a firm 'hands off' warning to any club thinking of launching a bid for his talented defender. The 1999/2000 season promises to be vital for Matteo in terms of establishing himself as a regular in the side, and a good end to the 1998/99 season along with an encouraging start to the following campaign suggested that, after a number of years on the fringes of the Liverpool team, he had finally made the big breakthrough and was in the side to stay. However, with Houllier opting for the experience of Staunton at left back, Dominic was once more faced with a fight to re-establish himself. Matteo had been loaned out to Sunderland in April/May 1995 and played one game there and had amassed a hundred and fifty-seven appearances for the Reds. This comprised one hundred and fourteen starts and fifteen appearances from the bench in League games and twenty-five starts and three substitute games in other competitions. While at Liverpool he made appearances for England Youth, gained one England “B” cap and played four England Under-twenty-one games. In the summer of 2000 Leeds United moved in to sign him for £4.75 million.They did so even though he was temporarily injured and it wasn’t until September that the deal was finalized and was immediately thrust into the Leeds team at Elland Road on a night you would not have turned a dog out, but all was well as United triumphed over AC Milan. He quickly fitted into the Leeds team, no matter which position he was designated and he was rewarded with the first of his six Scottish caps, against Australia in November 2000. He would no doubt have had more but he retired early from the international arena due to recurring injury problems. He continued to be one of Leeds' best players through their ECL campaign, in which they achieved a semi-final place. He is fondly remembered by Leeds fans especially for the goal he scored in that Champions League campaign at the SanSiro against AC Milan, with the Leeds fans dedicating a chant to it. When Rio Ferdinand moved to Manchester United in the summer of 2002, Matteo was handed the full captaincy. When Leeds were relegated, and the club’s financial chaos was at its height, Matteo was compelled to leave on a free-transfer and signed a three-year contract in July 2004 for Blackburn Rovers. He made his debut for them against West Bromwich Albion in a 1–1 draw. He scored once in thirty-six starts and three substitute appearances for Rovers. In January 2007 Matteo moved to CCCL side Stoke City on a free transfer, where he signed a short term contract until the summer, playing a total of nine games and scoring one goal. Matteo still continued to play for Stoke during the club's 2007-08 pre-season campaign, despite being out of contract. However he was finally offered a new twelve-month contract by the club on 10th August 2007. He was made captain but he only played sporadically and had scored once in Twenty-three League starts and one start in the F.A. Cup and scored once but had seen no action after November 2007 until he came on as a substitute in a League Cup Tie against Cheltenham Town in August 2008. It was to be his last game as he had to have a major back operation and he retired in May 2009. Matteo is currently studying for his UEFA coaching qualifications.