Pedro Manuel Miguel Matías (born 11 October 1973) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.

Pedro Matías
Personal information
Full name Pedro Manuel Miguel Matías
Date of birth (1973-10-11) 11 October 1973 (age 51)
Place of birth Madrid, Spain
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Youth career
Ciudad de los Ángeles
1989–1993 Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993–1994 Real Madrid C 28 (11)
1994–1996 Real Madrid B 53 (7)
1996–1997 Almería 32 (4)
1997–1998 Logroñés 12 (0)
1998–1999 Macclesfield Town 22 (2)
1999 Tranmere Rovers 4 (0)
1999–2004 Walsall 144 (26)
2004Blackpool (loan) 7 (1)
2004 Bristol Rovers 0 (0)
2004–2005 Kidderminster Harriers 5 (1)
2005 Ciempozuelos 15 (1)
2005–2006 Gimnástica Segoviana 28 (9)
2006–2007 Socuéllamos
2007–2009 Illescas 66 (12)
2009–2010 Vallecas 20 (0)
2010–2012 Carabanchel 61 (13)
Total 497 (87)
International career
1994 Spain U21 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He spent the vast majority of his professional career in England, representing six clubs, mainly Walsall for which he appeared in 162 competitive matches and scored 27 goals.[1]

Club career

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Born in Madrid, Matías was an unsuccessful Real Madrid youth graduate, only playing for its reserves for three seasons, two of those in the Segunda División. For 1996–97 he was released but stayed in that level, appearing regularly and being relegated with Almería.[2][3]

After a couple of months with Logroñés also in the second tier, Matías left his homeland, going on to spend the following decade in the English Football League with six teams: Macclesfield Town, Tranmere Rovers, Walsall – by far his biggest spell with any club in the country, five seasons – Blackpool (where he scored once against Brighton & Hove Albion),[4] Bristol Rovers[5] and Kidderminster Harriers (netting against Grimsby Town).[6][7] On 24 March 2001, whilst playing for the Saddlers, he scored a hat-trick in a 5–1 home win over Wycombe Wanderers,[8] being crucial to the club's promotion;[9] the following campaign he also figured prominently as Walsall finished 18th and out of the relegation zone, notably scoring twice in a 3–2 home defeat of Rotherham United.[10]

Matías returned to Spain in 2005 aged 31, citing personal reasons,[6] signing with lowly Gimnástica Segoviana of Tercera División and helping the Castile and León side to win their group albeit without a final playoff promotion. Subsequently, he saw out the remainder of his career in amateur football.

Honours

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Walsall

References

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  1. ^ "Preview: Walsall v Macclesfield". Walsall F.C. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  2. ^ Román, M. (12 May 1997). "Goleada con sabor a salvación" [Rout with the taste of survival]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  3. ^ Miralles, Carlos (23 October 2015). "El último Mallorca-Almería de 2ª, en 1997" [The last Mallorca-Almería in the 2nd tier, in 1997]. La Voz de Almería (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  4. ^ "Blackpool 3–1 Brighton". BBC Sport. 10 April 2004. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  5. ^ "Rovers sign ex-Walsall midfielder". BBC Sport. 29 October 2004. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  6. ^ a b "Matias quits Harriers". BBC. 23 December 2004. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  7. ^ "Grimsby 2–1 Kidderminster". BBC Sport. 20 November 2004. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  8. ^ "Walsall 5–1 Wycombe". BBC Sport. 24 March 2001. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  9. ^ a b "Walsall break Reading hearts". BBC Sport. 27 May 2001. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  10. ^ "Walsall 3–2 Rotherham". BBC Sport. 24 October 2001. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
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