Bradford City Sign Defender Hayden Matthews on Loan

Bradford City have bolstered their back line with the loan capture of Portsmouth defender Hayden Matthews on a season-long deal.

The 22-year-old centre-back, capped once by Australia, arrives at Mbanq Valley Parade looking to restart a career that has stalled through injury. Portsmouth paid £1.25m to bring him in from Sydney FC in January 2025, and he has made 20 appearances for Pompey since that move.

His last competitive outing came in the 1-1 draw with Birmingham at Fratton Park on the final day of last season, a reminder of the level he has already touched despite limited game time.

Matthews is the latest piece in Bradford’s summer rebuild. He becomes the third recent loan addition to check in at Valley Parade, following the arrivals of QPR midfielder Kieran Morgan and Blackburn Rovers defender George Pratt, as the club leans heavily on the loan market to sharpen its squad for the campaign ahead.