Blades-Mad feature former Leicester City and West Bromwich Albion defender Joe Mattock in our player-profiles section.
DOB: 15 May 1990
POB: Leicester
Height: 5ft 11inch
Debut: 15/01/2011 at Coventry City (0-0)
Clubs: Leicester City (youth, 2004-07), Leicester City (2007-09, 61 (12) + 1), West Bromwich Albion (2009-??), Sheffield United (loan, 2011).
Mattock was raised through the academy ranks at Leicester City; joining the Foxes at the age of fourteen and progressed well enough to eventually be offered a professional contract and in April 2007 was handed his debut; appearing as a substitute in a 2-1 home defeat to Norwich City.
During his time in the City Academy he enjoyed the distinction of representing England at various youth level stages; he played once for the U-17’s, thirteen times for U-19’s (scoring once) and five times for U-21’s.
In the 2006-07 season he was a member of the squad which beat Sunderland U-18’s on penalties to lift the FA Premier Academy League and was voted City’s Academy player of the year.
For the Walkers Stadium club, the 2007-08 campaign was a nightmare – they became of the clubs who became a victim of their own success. Having being relegated from the Premier League only a few years before they struggled to come to terms with life in the Championship and eventually had to cut the wage bill and in turn signed less attractive players.
In mid January 2008 the club rejected a bid from an unnamed Premier League club which was later thought to be from West Ham United. Later Aston Villa showed an interest following their relegation but no move materialised.
Mattock, playing as left full-back was virtually ever present during that campaign – playing in 33 games; he played at Bramall Lane towards the end of the season when James Beattie netted a hat-trick in a 3-0 win.
He remained with Leicester during their League One battle and was one of only a few ‘prestige’ clubs who won promotion back into the Championship at the first attempt; he featured in 36 league and cup games that season and netted his first Football League goal in a 2-0 win at Yeovil Town.
In August 2009 he completed a full transfer to West Bromwich Albion who would that season win promotion to the Premier League at the first time of asking -The Baggies paid a reported £1,200,000 fee for his services.
With the Hawthorns club, he returned to play against his former club in November 2009 and was subsequently booed by the City supporters – angered by the way he left the club after submitting a transfer request upon hearing of the Baggies interest.
He made his debut in a 2-0 League Cup victory at Bury, lining up alongside former Blade Craig Beattie. He featured 34 times in all competitions that season and in big wins against Middlesbrough (5-0), Watford (5-0), Bristol City (4-1) and Newcastle United (4-2).
In January 2010 he netted his first goal for his new club; in a 2-2 draw at Reading in the FA Cup – the Royals won the replay 3-2 at the Hawthorns.
Finishing as runners-up behind Newcastle United the Baggies; managed by Roberto Di Matteo they were promoted to the FA Premier League.
However, in the top flight he failed to make any appearances during their 2010/11 test and in January 2011 was loaned out to Sheffield United until the remainder of the season.
Previously, in September 2010 he was handed a two year suspended sentence and ordered to take up 180 hours of unpaid work following a punch-up in a Leicester nightclub in August 2009; it was understood that the incident happened when two men were unhappy about his move away from City.
Mattock made his Blades debut under Micky Adams in a 0-0 draw at Leicester City.
Updated: March 2011
