And the Blues’ new £1.27m arrival from Sydney FC has lifted the lid on his whirlwind Fratton Park bow, as he lined up against Millwall after just one training session with his new side.
Matthews was thrown in for his first appearance, with Rob Atkinson sidelined through illness and Conor Shaughnessy returning five months through injury. The 20-year-old looked broadly composed, though Millwall striker Mihailo Ivanovic ran off the back of him to bag the only goal of the game in the 40th minute.
Matthews explained he was content with how he did on his first appearance and the obvious steps up in physicality and speed he had to deal with.
‘I think I’ll be okay (adjusting to the pace of the game). Teams pick their moments, but when they go they go properly – that’s the real difference I learned from the game.
‘It’s something (physicality) which is a big step up from the A-League obviously. It will take a bit of time to adjust to that and every striker is different. There’s no two strikers in this league who will give me the same challenge, so it’s about adjusting to who I play against and being able to match up to them.
‘Moving forward teams are going to be different and I’ll have to be ready for that, but I think I did alright.’
Adjustment
Not only is Matthews having to adjust to life in a new country, but also an existence on the other side of the world after his four-and-a-half year capture was confirmed on Monday.
And the Australian international had just one fairly light session with his new team-mates to prepare for what Millwall had to offer, on his first English outing.
Matthews added: ‘I arrived here last Thursday and the first couple of nights have been quite tough with the sleep. I’ve been waking up at random hours of the morning, but apart from that it’s been okay.
‘Everyone has been amazing and everyone at the club has been great which has really helped with the transition.
‘I’ve only really had one session with the team. They were away at the weekend, so I just did some running. I had my first session with the team yesterday and it was quite light, but it was good to be in with the boys and get ready.
‘The people around me have been supportive and kept me grounded. They know it’s been a big step for me and I feel ready.’
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
For the latest news and breaking news visit sportzonenews
Be the first to comment