Matt Doherty (footballer, born 1992)

Matthew James Doherty (born 16 January 1992) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a full-back or wing-back for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers and the Republic of Ireland national team.

Matt Doherty

Doherty playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Matthew James Doherty[1]
Date of birth	(1992-01-16) 16 January 1992 (age 32)[2]
Place of birth	Swords, Dublin, Ireland
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[3]
Position(s)	Full-back / wing-back
Team information
Current team	Wolverhampton Wanderers
Number	2
Youth career
	Swords Celtic
	Home Farm
	Belvedere
2009–2010	Bohemians
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2010–2020	Wolverhampton Wanderers	260	(20)
2012	→ Hibernian (loan)	13	(2)
2012–2013	→ Bury (loan)	17	(1)
2020–2023	Tottenham Hotspur	44	(3)
2023	Atlético Madrid	2	(0)
2023–	Wolverhampton Wanderers	34	(1)
International career‡
2011–2012	Republic of Ireland U19	6	(0)
2012–2014	Republic of Ireland U21	8	(4)
2018–	Republic of Ireland	48	(2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:07, 1 October 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:26, 14 November 2024 (UTC)

Doherty was signed by Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2010, who played his Irish club Bohemians during pre-season. He gained senior football experience with loan spells at Hibernian and Bury, before beginning to regularly feature in Wolves' first team. Doherty was at Molineux for ten years, and made 302 appearances for the club in all competitions. After representing Republic of Ireland U21s, Doherty received his first call-up to the senior Republic of Ireland squad in 2016.

After spells at Tottenham Hotspur and Atlético Madrid, Doherty returned to Wolverhampton Wanderers in July 2023.

Club career

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Doherty was spotted by Wolverhampton Wanderers while playing for Bohemians in a pre-season game against them in July 2010.^[4] Despite never having played a first team game for Bohemians, he was invited for a trial and soon signed a two-year deal (with the option of a further year) to move to the English club for a reported £75,000 fee.^[5][6]

The defender made his Wolves debut on 8 January 2011 in an FA Cup tie against Doncaster Rovers,^[7] before making his Premier League debut on 24 September 2011 at Liverpool.^[8]

In January 2012, Doherty was loaned to Scottish Premier League club Hibernian for the latter part of the 2011–12 season.^[9] Here, he played in every defensive position, although his preference was right-back.^[10] After making his debut in a 1–0 victory against Kilmarnock on 4 February in the Scottish Cup, he went on to make a total of 17 appearances for the club, in which he scored twice. His final game of the loan spell was the 2012 Scottish Cup final, against Edinburgh derby rivals Hearts, where Hibs lost 1–5.^[11] Doherty later apologised for the team's performance.^[12]

In October 2012, Doherty was again loaned out, joining League One club Bury in a three-month deal.^[13] Two days later, Doherty made his debut for Bury, in a 0–1 defeat to Swindon Town, in the first of 22 appearances for the club. He established himself in the first team, playing in the right-back position and earning praise from manager Kevin Blackwell.^[14][15] However financial troubles at Bury meant that their loan players, such as Doherty, were sent back to their parent clubs in January 2013.^[16][17]

With Dean Saunders appointed Wolves manager in January 2013, Doherty was soon promoted to becoming the club's regular right-back and he featured throughout the final months of the 2012–13 season as the team battled unsuccessfully to avoid a second consecutive relegation.^[18] Under Saunders' successor, Kenny Jackett, Doherty retained his place in the Wolves' team and, in September 2013, signed a new contract.^[19]

Doherty's goal against Fulham at Molineux during the 2015–16 campaign was awarded the club's best goal of the season.^[20] On 26 September 2017, he signed a new contract keeping him at Wolves until the summer of 2021.^[21] Towards the end of the 2017–18 campaign, Wolves were promoted back to the Premier League after a six-year absence.^[22]

Doherty scored his first Premier League goal for Wolves (on his ninth appearance in the Premier League) on 6 October 2018 at Crystal Palace as the team won 1–0.^[23] Two days later it was announced that Doherty had won the Professional Footballers' Association Fans' Premier League Player of the Month award for September 2018,^[24] becoming only the fourth Ireland player to win this award in the history of the Premier League.^[25]

Doherty scored his second Premier League goal for Wolves on his 200th league appearance for the club on 30 November 2018 at Cardiff City in a 2–1 defeat.^[26] The following 15 February, he signed a new contract that would keep him at the club until the summer of 2023.^[27]

Doherty scored his fourth Premier League goal, and his first Premier League goal to be scored at Molineux, in a 3–1 win over Arsenal, Wolves's first win against Arsenal since 1979, on 24 April 2019.^[28] That 8 August, he scored the team's first goal in a 4–0 win on his debut appearance in European competition in the UEFA Europa League Qualifying Third Round, 1st Leg, against FC Pyunik in Yerevan, Armenia.^[29]

Writing in The Guardian in December 2019, Paul Doyle declared Doherty Wolves' best player of the decade.^[30] He marked his 300th appearance for the club (in all competitions) in their last league game of the 2019–20 season away to Chelsea on 26 July 2020.^[31][32] The 302nd and final appearance of his ten-year spell, was in the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League quarter-final against Sevilla on 11 August.^[33]

Tottenham Hotspur

On 30 August 2020, Doherty was sold to Tottenham Hotspur for £13.4 million with no add-ons and signed on a four-year deal .^[34] As a life-long Arsenal fan, Doherty had expressed his love of Tottenham's local rivals on social media, and on signing for Tottenham the player and club made a light-hearted video about the deletion of these historic comments.^[35] He made his debut on 13 September in a 1–0 home defeat against Everton.^[36]

Doherty battled for his right-back place against Serge Aurier.^[37] On 2 January 2021, he was sent off at the end of a 3–0 home win over Leeds United.^[38] On 26 February 2022, Doherty scored his first goal for Tottenham in a Premier League clash against Leeds United at Elland Road.^[39] Tottenham eventually won the game 4–0 in which Son Heung-min and Harry Kane also became the Premier League's deadliest partnership in terms of goals and assists for each other.^[40] On 9 April 2022, Doherty suffered a medial collateral ligament injury in a win over Aston Villa that kept him out of action for the rest of the season.^[41]

Doherty scored his first goal of the 2022–23 season – his third for the club – in Spurs' 4–0 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on 4 January 2023.^[42]

Atlético Madrid

On 31 January 2023, Spurs terminated Doherty's contract so he could join La Liga club Atlético Madrid.^[43][44]

Return to Wolves

On 20 July 2023, Doherty returned to Wolves on a three-year contract, for free.^[45]

Doherty returned to first-team action for Wolves, three years and 18 days after last featuring for the club, in a home EFL Cup game against Blackpool on 29 August 2023, and announced his return with a brace of goals in a 5–0 win.^[46]

Doherty scored his first Wolves goal in the Premier League since returning to the club in the close season on Christmas Eve 2023 at Molineux, the first 24 December league fixture in 28 years:^[47] the winner in a 2–1 victory over Chelsea.^[48]

International career

Doherty played for the Republic of Ireland national under-19 football team.^[11] In May 2012, he was put on standby for the under-21s.^[11]

Doherty received his first call-up to the senior Republic of Ireland squad on 11 March 2016, for Ireland's friendlies against Switzerland and Slovakia.^[49] He made his senior debut on 23 March 2018, in a 1–0 defeat to Turkey, coming on as a substitute for captain Séamus Coleman.^[50] He featured in an Ireland starting XI for the first time in the Republic's UEFA Nations League match with Denmark in Dublin on 13 October 2018,^[51] just days after becoming only the fourth Republic of Ireland player in the history of the Premier League^[25] to win the Professional Footballers' Association Fans' Premier League Player of the Month award.^[24] Doherty scored his first international goal in Ireland's 1–1 draw with Denmark on 19 November 2019.^[52]

On 16 November 2020, the Football Association of Ireland announced that Doherty had tested positive for COVID-19 after playing a full game against Wales at the Cardiff City Stadium.^[53] The announcement also included James McClean's positive result.^[54]

Doherty was also eligible to play for the Netherlands as his mother is Dutch.^[55]

On 22 March 2023, Doherty captained the Republic of Ireland for the first time in a friendly against Latvia.^[56] He received his first international red card during Ireland's 2–1 loss to Greece in a Euro 2024 qualifier.^[57]

Personal life

Doherty's father is Irish, while his mother is of Dutch-Indonesian descent, as Doherty's grandmother is Indonesian.^[58]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 18 September 2024

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup[a]		League cup[b]		Europe		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Wolverhampton Wanderers	2010–11[59]	Premier League	0	0	1	0	0	0	—		—		1	0
	2011–12[59]		1	0	1	0	3	0	—		—		5	0
	2012–13[59]	Championship	13	1	0	0	0	0	—		—		13	1
	2013–14[59]	League One	18	1	0	0	1	0	—		1[c]	0	20	1
	2014–15[59]	Championship	33	0	2	0	1	0	—		—		36	0
	2015–16[59]		34	2	1	0	3	0	—		—		38	2
	2016–17[59]		42	4	3	1	2	0	—		—		47	5
	2017–18[59]		45	4	2	0	0	0	—		—		47	4
	2018–19[59]	Premier League	38	4	6	4	1	0	—		—		45	8
	2019–20[59]		36	4	2	0	1	0	11[d]	3	—		50	7
	Total		260	20	18	5	12	0	11	3	1	0	302	28
Hibernian (loan)	2011–12[59]	Scottish Premier League	13	2	4	0	—		—		—		17	2
Bury (loan)	2012–13[59]	League One	17	1	3	1	—		—		2[c]	1	22	3
Tottenham Hotspur	2020–21[59]	Premier League	17	0	2	0	1	0	9[d]	0	—		29	0
	2021–22[59]		15	2	3	0	3	0	5[e]	0	—		26	2
	2022–23[59]		12	1	1	0	1	0	2[f]	0	—		16	1
	Total		44	3	6	0	5	0	16	0	—		71	3
Atlético Madrid	2022–23[60]	La Liga	2	0	—		—		—		—		2	0
Wolverhampton Wanderers	2023–24[59]	Premier League	30	1	5	0	2	2	—		—		37	3
	2024–25[59]		4	0	0	0	2	0	—		—		6	0
	Total		34	1	5	0	4	2	—		—		43	3
Total			370	27	36	6	22	2	27	3	3	1	457	39

1. Includes FA Cup, Scottish FA Cup
2. Includes Football League/EFL Cup
3. Appearances in Football League Trophy
4. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
5. Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
6. Appearances in UEFA Champions League

International

As of match played 14 November 2024^[61]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Republic of Ireland	2018	5	0
	2019	4	1
	2020	7	0
	2021	11	0
	2022	6	0
	2023	8	1
	2024	7	0
Total		48	2

Scores and results list the Republic of Ireland's goal tally first.^[61]

List of international goals scored by Matt Doherty

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	18 November 2019	Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland	Denmark	1–1	1–1	UEFA Euro 2020 qualification
2	16 October 2023	Estádio Algarve, Faro, Portugal	Gibraltar	3–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 2024 qualification

Honours

Hibernian

• Scottish Cup runner-up: 2011–12^[62]

Wolverhampton Wanderers

• EFL Championship: 2017–18^[63]
• Football League One: 2013–14^[64]

Tottenham Hotspur

• EFL Cup runner-up: 2020–21^[65]

Individual

• Wolverhampton Wanderers Player of the Year: 2015–16^[66]
• Professional Footballers' Association Fans' Premier League Player of the Month: September 2018^[67]

References

1. "Premier League clubs publish 2019/20 retained lists". Premier League. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
2. "Matt Doherty: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
3. "Matt Doherty". Atlético Madrid. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
4. "A comfortable victory". wolves.co.uk. 19 July 2010. Archived from the original on 15 August 2010.
5. "Doherty's dream delight". wolves.co.uk. 23 August 2010. Archived from the original on 25 March 2011.
6. "Doherty heads to Wolves". Sky Sports. 19 August 2010.
7. "Doncaster v Wolverhampton". BBC Sport. 8 January 2011.
8. "Defender keen to improve". wolves.co.uk. 22 September 2011. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
9. "Coventry's O'Donovan and Wolves' Doherty loaned to Hibs". BBC Sport. 31 January 2012.
10. Strachan, Colleen (6 April 2012). "Defender eager to banish the pain of his costly mistakes when Hibs last clashed with Motherwell". Edinburgh Evening News. Johnston Press.
11. "Doherty focused on Wolves". Sky Sports. 27 May 2012.
12. "Doherty's Disappointment". Wolverhampton Wanderers FC. 24 May 2012. Archived from the original on 25 May 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
13. "Wolves defender Matt Doherty joins Bury on loan". BBC Sport. 4 October 2012.
14. "Kevin Blackwell praises young defence as Bury continue good run". BBC Sport. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
15. "Bury boss Kevin Blackwell praises impact of loan players". BBC Sport. 30 October 2012.
16. "Shakers duo back at Wolves". Sky Sports. 3 January 2013.
17. "Kevin Blackwell: Bury finances may lead to departures". BBC Sport. 2 January 2013.
18. "Matt Doherty: "I honestly think we will get promoted... automatic promotion actually"". Birmingham Mail. 12 July 2013.
19. "Doherty aiming high". Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 6 September 2013. Archived from the original on 8 September 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
20. "In pictures: Matt Doherty cleans up at Wolves' end of season awards". expressandstar.com. 11 May 2016.
21. "Doc's new deal!". Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 26 September 2017.
22. "Wolves promoted to the Premier League". Premier League. 14 April 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
23. Poole, Harry (6 October 2018). "Doherty earns Wolves three points at Palace". BBC Sport.
24. Edwards, Joe (8 October 2018). "Wolves' Matt Doherty voted PFA Fans' Player of the Month". Express & Star.
25. Kinsella, Carl (8 October 2018). "Matt Doherty becomes only the fourth Irish player to win Premier League Player of the Month". joe.ie.
26. Pritchard, Dafydd (30 November 2018). "Cardiff 2–1 Wolves: Junior Hoilett stunner lifts hosts out of bottom three". BBC Sport.
27. "Wolves: Conor Coady and Matt Doherty sign new deals until 2023". BBC Sport. 15 February 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
28. James, Stuart (24 April 2019). "Diogo Jota-inspired Wolves deal fresh blow to Arsenal's top-four hopes". The Guardian.
29. Poole, Harry (8 August 2019). "Pyunik 0–4 Wolves -- Raul Jimenez scores twice as Wolves dominate in Armenia". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
30. "Premier League clubs' best players of the decade". The Guardian. 24 December 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
31. Hafez, Shamoon (26 July 2020). "Chelsea 2–0 Wolves: Mason Mount and Olivier Giroud secure win". BBC Sport.
32. Edwards, Joe (24 July 2020). "Matt Doherty living the dream with Wolves". Shropshire Star.
33. "Wolves 0-1 Sevilla: Ocampos heads late winner". UEFA. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
34. Gold, Alasdair (30 August 2020). "The incredible Matt Doherty transfer fee Daniel Levy negotiated for Tottenham". football.london. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
35. ESPN, ESPN (30 August 2020). "Tottenham signing Matt Doherty deletes Arsenal fan-boy tweets". ESPN. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
36. Johnston, Neil (13 September 2020). "Tottenham Hotspur 0–1 Everton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
37. Taiwo, Taiye (13 December 2020). "Doherty opens up on competition with Aurier at Tottenham Hotspur". Goal. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
38. Warlow, Robert (4 January 2021). "Matt Doherty sent strong Tottenham warning after red card vs Leeds United". Football London. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
39. Howrath, Matthew (26 February 2022). "Leeds United 0-4 Tottenham Hotspur". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
40. Orme, Daniel (26 February 2022). "Harry Kane's 17-word Son Heung-min verdict after breaking record in Tottenham win vs Leeds". Football London. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
41. "Matt Doherty: Tottenham full-back ruled out for rest of season with medial collateral ligament injury". Sky Sports.
42. Steinberg, Jacob (4 January 2023). "Harry Kane double sparks Tottenham's rout of Crystal Palace". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
43. "Matt Doherty departs". Tottenham Hotspur. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
44. "Tottenham defender Doherty set for Atletico loan". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
45. "Doherty makes Wolves return". Wolverhampton Wanderers. 20 July 2023.
46. "Wolverhampton Wanderers 5–0 Blackpool: Matt Doherty scores twice as hosts progress". BBC Sport. 29 August 2023.
47. Ofori, Morgan (30 October 2023). "Supporter groups call on Premier League to change Christmas Eve fixture". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
48. Stone, Simon (24 December 2023). "Wolves 2–1 Chelsea: Hosts condemn wasteful Chelsea to defeat". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
49. "Euro 2016: Trio handed first Republic of Ireland call-up". BBC Sport. 11 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
50. "New faces fail to inspire Ireland in Turkey". The42.ie. 23 March 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
51. "Matt Doherty makes first start for Ireland as clash with Denmark gets underway". Irish Examiner. 13 October 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
52. "Rep of Ireland 1–1 Denmark: Draw means ROI settle for Euro 2020 play-offs".
53. Rosser, Jack (16 November 2020). "Tottenham defender Matt Doherty tests positive for Covid-19 on international duty with Republic of Ireland". Evening Standard. London. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
54. "Coronavirus: Matt Doherty and James McClean test positive". Sky Sports. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
55. "Matt Doherty interview: Football, family and the future". Buzz.ie. 26 April 2020. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
56. "'A great honour' – Doherty handed armband for Latvia encounter". RTE Sport. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
57. "Republic's Euro 2024 hopes dented with Greece loss". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
58. Rowan, Paul (15 October 2023). "Wolves' Matt Doherty: club before country". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
59. Matt Doherty at Soccerbase
60. "Republic of Ireland – M. Doherty – Profile with news, career statistics and history – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
61. "Matt Doherty". National Football Teams. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
62. "Hibernian 1–5 Hearts". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
63. Anderson, John, ed. (2018). Football Yearbook 2018–2019. London: Headline Publishing Group. pp. 386–387. ISBN 978-1-4722-6106-9.
64. Anderson, John, ed. (2014). Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2014–2015. London: Headline Publishing Group. pp. 386–387. ISBN 978-1-4722-1251-1.
65. McNulty, Phil (25 April 2021). "Manchester City 1–0 Tottenham Hotspur". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
66. "Matt Doherty cleans up at Wolves' end of season awards". Express & Star. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
67. "Wolves' Matt Doherty voted PFA Fans' Player of the Month". Express & Star. 8 October 2018.

External links

• Profile at the Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. website
• Matt Doherty at Soccerbase
• Matt Doherty at Soccerway
• Matt Doherty – UEFA competition record (archive)