Sutton United's new recruit on his amazing journey!
American adventure pays dividends as defender bags his Football League break
FOR someone who used to live just a short distance from the famous Las Vegas Strip, it's fitting that Matt Ridley's football gamble has paid off in spades.
As a mere 17-year-old, the Hartlepool native packed his bags and headed to the USA on a football scholarship. In his four years stateside, he spent time studying at Lander University in South Carolina, the Richard Bland College in Virginia and, finally, UNLV – the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
As well as completing a degree in business management, he virtually trained as a fulltime professional footballer, honing the skills that saw him skipper England Colleges on these shores.
Mission
He returned home in December with a mission to break into the pro ranks here and, following one or two setbacks along the way, has now signed for Sutton United, who made such a big impact on their EFL bow last term. It was confirmation for Ridley that he had made the right call in heading across the Atlantic.
He told The FLP: “When I came back at the end of last year, I was thinking ‘have I made the right decision?'. I had been out of the English game for four, nearly five years. I would have to get my name back out there, start from scratch essentially.
“On the flip side, I was thinking ‘I have made the right decision'. Football doesn't last forever and I have got the degree now – I have something to fall back on, which many don't have. A lot of boys will also never experience what I've experienced.”
Indeed, Ridley was blown away by what was on offer to mere university students in the US.
“You wouldn't believe it, especially in Vegas,” he said. “Anything over a four-hour drive, we would fly to games. Sometimes there were a thousand fans at games.
“We were sponsored by Nike and every term you got a massive duffel bag of stuff – boots, trainers, you name it. You wouldn't believe the facilities. There were multi-million pound facilities and we are talking about university sport.”
The standard of play wasn't too shabby either. “In Vegas, my centre- back partner had played for New Zealand Under-23s, the other centre- half had just got released by Borussia Monchengladbach,” he said.
“The amount of players I have played against that are now in the MLS is ridiculous. The standard isn't given the respect it deserves – I found that out the hard way when I came back. People hear you have been to America to play football and say ‘what's that?'.
Massive
“But there's lads from massive European clubs going out there. I know teams over there that would do well in the National League. If you had a pick of university players from all over the country, I reckon they would do well in the Football League.”
However, ask the 22-year-old what was the biggest thing he learned from his stint across the pond and you'll get an answer that could apply to any teen leaving home for the first time.
“It turned me from a boy to a man really quickly,” he explained. “I was a young lad, only 17, and I had never really been away from my mam and dad, and my brothers.
“Suddenly I was more than a ten-hour flight away – it was a bit of a reality check. I had been wrapped in cotton wool but now I had to cook, clean, iron and wash clothes. It's just maturing.
I took myself out of my comfort zone.
“Now I've moved to Sutton, I'm thinking ‘I've done this before, this is nothing really!'.
I'm a five-and-a-half hour drive away from home, but it's a lot easier than two or three flights, especially during Covid.”
To get some minutes under his belt upon his return to the UK, Ridley turned out for Northern Premier League topflight side Whitby Town and Northern League outfit Consett on dual registration.
He later got some more valuable match time at fellow Northern League side Guisborough Town.
It was all designed to keep him in shape as he looked to break into the professional game. A trial at Torquay didn't come to anything, but then came news that Sutton were keen. There was an extra positive for Ridley in that his former England Colleges teammate Ben Goodliffe was a regular in Matt Gray's U's team.
He said: “When my agent said Sutton were interested, I thought ‘what a great opportunity'. Ben's doing really well there and I thought it would make it easier for me to settle in.
“It can be quite daunting going somewhere new. You don't want to be full-on, but you want to settle in quickly.”
Ridley impressed on trial in February and seemed all set to sign for the U's, but then came a frustrating hitch. Although he was a non-contract player in Non-League, EFL registration rules meant he couldn't sign at that time.
“It was tough to take,” he admitted. “I thought it was done and I had spoken to family and friends. The day before I was supposed to move down, the club found out I definitely couldn't sign. I found it hard to pick myself up for a few weeks.”
Fortunately, Sutton maintained their interest in the towering defender and pre-season gave him the chance to impress all over again.
Chance
“After that initial disappointment, I flipped a switch and thought ‘this is a really good chance to get my foot in the door,” he said. “I was on trial for about two weeks, got the chance to sign and now I want to kick on.
“I'm learning every day, I'm only 22 years old. I have only been playing centre-half from just before I went to America. I haven't played the position as much as a lot of boys.
“This season is just about trying to get a good run of games or being involved with the squad. I want to kick on, stay in the league and make a name for myself over the next few years.”
His graduation ceremony from UNLV takes place in a couple of weeks' time, but, not surprisingly given his new job situation, he won't be able to attend.
“I'm not really bothered,” he insisted. “Getting the degree was the important thing and just before I flew home we had a big team get-together. It was with the people who meant the most to me out there. We have said our goodbyes and we'll keep in touch.”
Ridley will also never forget his time in the heart of Vegas.
“It's the craziest place I've ever been,” he smiled. “I literally lived two miles from the Strip. Whatever time of the day or night it is, there's something going on!”
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