Bradford City Sign Hayden Matthews on Loan

Bradford City have added Australian defender Hayden Matthews to their back line, bringing in the Portsmouth centre-back on a season-long loan.

The 22-year-old, capped once by Australia, arrives at Mbanq Valley Parade looking to restart his momentum after an injury-disrupted spell at Fratton Park. Portsmouth paid £1.25m to sign him from Sydney FC in January 2025, but he has managed just 20 appearances 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 how long he has been waiting for a sustained run of games.

Matthews becomes Bradford’s third recent loan recruit, joining QPR midfielder Kieran Morgan and Blackburn Rovers defender George Pratt in a squad clearly being reshaped for the campaign ahead.