Max Mata
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Max Andrew Mata[1] | ||
Date of birth | 10 July 2000 | ||
Place of birth | Auckland, New Zealand | ||
Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
Position(s) | Forward | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Sligo Rovers (on loan from Shrewsbury Town) | ||
Number | 22 | ||
Youth career | |||
–2018 | Onehunga Sports | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2015–2017 | Wellington Phoenix Reserves | 16 | (8) |
2017–2018 | Eastern Suburbs | 18 | (3) |
2019–2020 | Grasshopper II | 10 | (5) |
2019 | → Nõmme Kalju (loan) | 14 | (9) |
2021–2022 | Real Monarchs | 19 | (2) |
2022–2023 | Sligo Rovers | 50 | (18) |
2023– | Shrewsbury Town | 22 | (1) |
2024– | → Sligo Rovers (loan) | 9 | (4) |
International career‡ | |||
2017 | New Zealand U-17 | 7 | (5) |
2018–2019 | New Zealand U-20 | 6 | (5) |
2019– | New Zealand | 9 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 March 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16 April 2024 |
Max Andrew Mata (born 10 July 2000) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a forward for League of Ireland Premier Division club Sligo Rovers, on loan from EFL League One club Shrewsbury Town as well as the New Zealand national team.
Club career[edit]
New Zealand[edit]
After shining in New Zealand as the youngest goalscorer in the country's top-flight at 15, Mata travelled to Switzerland to train with Swiss giants, Grasshoppers. After an impressive trial period, he signed for the club.
Grasshoppers[edit]
After scoring four goals in his first seven games for the reserves, he was loaned to Estonian side, Nõmme Kalju, in 2019 to further his development in a first-team environment. Mata never established himself with Zurich's first-team.
Nõmme Kalju[edit]
After joining on loan, Mata made his professional debut for Nõmme Kalju in their 5–0 loss to Celtic in the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round on 24 July 2019.[2] Mata would make 20 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring 12 times.
Real Monarchs[edit]
Mata left Switzerland on a free transfer in December 2020 and signed for American second-tier side, Real Monarchs.[3]
Sligo Rovers[edit]
On 15 February 2022, it was announced that Mata had signed for League of Ireland Premier Division club Sligo Rovers.[4] He was named Sligo Rovers' Young Player of the Year in the same year.[5] He finished the 2022 season with seven goals and four assists in sixteen appearances in the league,[6][7] as well as scoring twice in the Europa Conference League.[7] In July 2022, he signed a contract extension until at least the end of the 2024 season.[8] In February 2023, he scored a hat-trick in a 3–2 win away to UCD at the UCD Bowl.[9]
Shrewsbury Town[edit]
On 3 August 2023, Mata signed for League One club Shrewsbury Town on a three-year deal.[10]
Sligo Rovers loan[edit]
On 15 February 2024, it was announced that Mata had returned to Sligo Rovers, on loan until the summer.[11]
International career[edit]
U-20[edit]
Mata was named in the New Zealand U-20 side for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He was picked for the tournament even though he would be unavailable for the first two games of the tournament due to a red card that he picked up in the final of the OFC U-19 Championship qualifiers.[12][13] Mata ended up making two appearances for the U-20s, first in the last group game against Uruguay, where he captained the team, and in the round of 16 penalty shootout loss to Colombia.[14][15]
National team[edit]
Mata made his international debut on 15 November 2019, coming on as a substitute for New Zealand in their 0–1 loss to Lithuania.[16] After a long spell out of the national team, he earned a call up in March 2023 for two friendly fixtures against China,[17] followed by another callup in June for friendlies against Sweden and Qatar.[18]
Personal life[edit]
Mata is of Māori and Cook Island Māori descent.[19] His older brother, Ben Mata, is a footballer with Wellington Olympic and the Cook Islands national team.[20][21]
Honours[edit]
New Zealand U17
New Zealand U19
Individual
- 2018 OFC U-19 Championship: Golden Boot
References[edit]
- ^ "FIFA U-20 World Cup Poland 2019: List of Players: New Zealand" (PDF). FIFA. 13 June 2019. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2020.
- ^ "Celtic 5–0 Nomme Kalju: Griffiths scores first goal since November in rout". BBC Sport. 24 July 2019.
- ^ "Real Monarchs Add New Zealand Forward Max Mata". www.rsl.com. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
- ^ "Max Mata signs for Sligo Rovers – Sligo Rovers". 15 February 2022.
- ^ "Max Mata named Wehrly Bros/Sligo Rovers Young POTY – Sligo Rovers". 28 October 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ "Summary - Premier Division - Republic of Ireland - Results, fixtures, tables and news - Soccerway". ie.soccerway.com. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ a b "New Zealand - M. Mata - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". ie.soccerway.com. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ "Max Mata extends his Rovers' contract – Sligo Rovers". 26 July 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ Buttner, Paul (24 February 2023). "Mata hits hat-trick as Sligo snatch points at UCD" – via www.rte.ie.
- ^ "Salop sign international striker Max Mata!". www.shrewsburytown.com. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2024/0215/1432514-mata-makes-sligo-rovers-return-months-after-departure/
- ^ Voerman, Andrew (14 May 2019). "Ban no barrier to Kiwi striker Max Mata making Fifa Under-20 World Cup squad". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
- ^ "Talented New Zealand team heading into Fifa Under-20 World Cup full of confidence". Stuff.co.nz. 23 May 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
- ^ "Uruguay end group stage with perfect record". FIFA. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
- ^ "Cafeteros outlast Kiwis in dramatic shoot-out". FIFA. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
- ^ Voerman, Andrew. "Second-string All Whites fail to seize opportunities in loss to Lithuania". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
- ^ "All Whites squad named for home series vs China". www.nzfootball.co.nz.
- ^ "All Whites squad announced for games this month against Sweden and Qatar". www.nzfootball.co.nz. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
- ^ "Young Kiwi signs professional football contract in Europe – 'proud of my family name and where I have come from'" – via TVNZ.
- ^ friendsoffootballnz_irqgpj (6 March 2022). "The World Cup squad stacked with Lotto NRFL names — and a comedian". Friends of Football. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ "Ben Mata - Men's Soccer". Missouri State. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
External links[edit]
- 2000 births
- Living people
- Men's association football forwards
- New Zealand men's association footballers
- New Zealand men's under-20 international footballers
- New Zealand men's international footballers
- New Zealand Māori people
- Wellington Phoenix FC players
- Real Monarchs players
- Nõmme Kalju FC players
- Sligo Rovers F.C. players
- Shrewsbury Town F.C. players
- New Zealand National League players
- Meistriliiga players
- USL Championship players
- League of Ireland players
- New Zealand expatriate men's association footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers in Switzerland
- Expatriate men's footballers in Estonia
- Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
- Expatriate men's association footballers in the Republic of Ireland
- Expatriate men's footballers in England
- New Zealand expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland
- New Zealand expatriate sportspeople in Estonia
- New Zealand expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- New Zealand expatriate sportspeople in Ireland
- New Zealand expatriate sportspeople in England