A SKILFULL and talented central defender, Matthew's early years with Boro were hampered by a series of injuries.

An integral member of Boro's 2004 FA Youth Cup-winning team, he had also played in the previous year's final, against Manchester United, while still a schoolboy.

Teesside born and bred, Matthew has been with the club since he was 12 years old.

Has represented England at U18 level and was called up for first team duty when 17-years-old when he was named on the bench for the games against Bolton, Chelsea and Southampton in April 2004.

He was again a substitute for the historic UEFA Cup game against Banik Ostrava in September 2004.

At youth team and Reserve level Matthew developed a formidable central defensive partnership with David Wheater.

He made his senior debut when playing for just over two minutes as he replaced Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in a game against Manchester City at the Riverside on December 6 2004.

Matthew signed a four-and-a-half year contract in January 2005 and started a top flight game for the first time on August 20 2005 against Spurs at White Hart Lane.

He continued to make his mark on the first team throughout the 2005/06 season, playing at both right-back and his more usual positon of centre-back. 

He produced a Man of the Match display in Boro's UEFA Cup semi-final first leg against Steua Bucharest.

But a cruciate knee ligament injury picked up against Barnsley during a loan spell at Ipswich during the 2006/7 season forced him to miss the rest of that season.

And he was hit by another cruel blow when he injured the other knee during a pre-season friendly at Darlington in July 2007.

He battled back but he received another setback when he injured the original knee playing against Hull City during a loan spell at Norwich in February 2008 and after surgery, he set off on the long road to recovery once again.

He benefitted from specialist work at a rehabilitation centre in the south of France and came back stronger than ever before, going on to make 20 first team appearances in the 2008-09 season. 

Displaying his natural talent, he filled in in an unfamiliar midfield role, first appearing in that position in the second half of an FA Cup win away to Wolves in January 2009. 

Matthew was out of contract in summer 2009 and attracted the attentions of a number of top flight clubs.

But he decided to stay and help Boro's fight to regain their Premier League place, signing a new, three-year deal in June 2009. 

He suffered further cartilage damage in a pre-season game at Carlisle in July 2009 and needed surgery to repair a torn cruciate ligament.

However, he returned to the side once again at the start of the 2010.11 season.