Azor Matusiwa: Playing Through Pain for Ipswich's Promotion
Azor Matusiwa could barely walk properly by the end, but he refused to stop running.
Ipswich Town’s midfield enforcer revealed he pushed his body through “a lot of discomfort” in the final weeks of the Championship season, determined to drag the club over the promotion line and back into the Premier League.
Playing through pain for promotion
The turning point came on Easter Monday. A heavy blow in the home win over Birmingham left Matusiwa with a bad dead leg. From that moment on, he never quite looked the same relentless force that had driven Ipswich all year.
He knew it. The supporters probably did too.
“Yeah, I played in a lot of discomfort, to be honest,” the 28-year-old admitted. “I think that you guys could see it. The performance was not that good as before.
“I was struggling a lot. I played with a hamstring [injury] for two games after the dead leg against Birmingham. This one was a big impact. It’s still hurting, but we found a way to get through it.
“I’m so happy that I didn’t stop, that I kept going, because we knew how important the moment was. I had to play, whatever the cost. I’m so happy that I could play the last games because the stage of the season was so important.”
That was the trade-off: personal pain for collective glory. Ipswich needed their midfield anchor. Matusiwa refused to step aside.
From Rennes recruit to Ipswich heartbeat
Signed from Rennes last summer for £7.8m, Matusiwa arrived with expectation attached. The fee, the reputation, the No.5 shirt vacated by former captain Sam Morsy – all of it pointed to a player brought in to control games and set standards.
He did exactly that.
The Dutchman started all but one league match, missing only the 3-0 home defeat to Charlton through suspension. For months he walked a disciplinary tightrope, picking up bookings but never losing his edge. He chipped in with a superb match-winning strike against Hull and, crucially, patrolled the pitch with a radar that no other midfielder in the division could match.
The numbers underline it. Matusiwa made more interceptions than any other Championship midfielder – 75 in total. Preston’s Ben White, next on the list, finished with 51.
Supporters didn’t need the stats to know what they were watching. A former Ajax prospect dictating games, snapping into tackles, reading danger before it developed. The kind of player every promotion team needs.
The reward came in the end-of-season votes. Matusiwa walked away with both ITFC Player of the Year and Supporters’ Player of the Year.
“Amazing. Proud, proud feeling. Especially the way we’ve done it,” he said, speaking moments after Ipswich’s open-top bus parade on Monday.
“It was not easy. A lot of tough moments. But we found a way. I’m so happy, very happy.
“I came for this. I came to help the club to get promoted, to get back in the Premier League. And we did it!”
Settling in, stepping up
His season did not start as smoothly as it finished. The first game, away at Birmingham, was a shock to the system.
“As we spoke already about it, the first game (at Birmingham) was tough, really tough,” he recalled. “And after, I think the second game was already better. And after that, with the house and everything, I got settled. My level came back and I think I adjusted well.”
Life off the pitch mattered. Once the basics were in place – a home, a routine – the performances followed. The dressing room did the rest.
“The boys, the staff helped me a lot to adjust,” he said. “They bought me because of my qualities and I’m happy that I’ve been an important player for the club, for the players. But most important is the promotion.
“I really think that the crowd and the community deserve this. Because they supported us through the whole season. Even when it was tough, they stayed behind us. They deserve this as well. I’m happy that we have done this for us, but also for them.”
The bond between player and stands has been obvious all year. The chants, the applause for every interception, every sliding tackle. It all fed into a sense that Ipswich had found a new on-field leader.
“Premier League incoming”
Now comes the step he has been chasing since childhood.
Azor Matusiwa – Premier League player. How does that sound?
“Yeah, Premier League incoming! Sounds very good, man!” he replied, grinning.
“It’s a big dream. It’s a dream that I had since I was young, to play in the biggest league in the world. Saturday this dream became reality. It’s an amazing feeling.
“I’m so excited, really excited to play against the biggest teams and the best players in the world. I can’t wait.”
There are certain fixtures he has pictured for years. Certain grounds.
“Since I was a kid, I really looked up to Man Utd,” he said. “To play at Old Trafford is amazing. But also at Anfield or Villa away. And also the home games are going to be even better than they already were this season.”
Portman Road under Premier League lights. Old Trafford, Anfield, Villa Park on the schedule. This is the stage he wanted when he signed.
“We don’t want to go up to come back again”
The challenge now is clear. Ipswich’s last Premier League adventure ended with a miserable 22-point relegation in 2024/25. That scar still lingers around the club.
Matusiwa has no intention of reliving it.
“We go for it,” he said. “We don’t want to go up to come back again. Because this league (the Championship) is tough. This league is so tough. And it’s going to be even tougher next season. So I think it’s the right moment to get out of this league and, hopefully, to never come back again.”
He has already shown he will play through pain to keep Ipswich moving forward. The next test comes against the best in England. The question now is simple: if this is what he looks like on one leg in the Championship, what might he become on the biggest stage of all?
