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 relaunch his career after an injury-disrupted spell at Fratton Park. Portsmouth paid £1.25m to bring him in from Sydney FC in January 2025, a move that underlined his potential as a long-term prospect in English football.

Since that switch, Matthews has made 20 appearances for Pompey, but fitness issues have repeatedly stalled his momentum. 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.

Now he gets that chance in West Yorkshire.

Matthews becomes Bradford’s third recent loan addition, joining QPR midfielder Kieran Morgan and Blackburn Rovers defender George Pratt in a squad clearly being reshaped for the campaign ahead. Three fresh faces, three different clubs, one clear message: Bradford are all-in on this rebuild.