Brentford keeper Matthew Cox has got a seven year plan to reach the very top.
Cox, 19, was named in UEFA’s team of the tournament when England won the European under-19s Championship and then Brentford rewarded him with a contract until 2029. Brentford signed him to a deal to beat off growing interest from Juventus, Man City and Borussia Dortmund.
But Cox is refusing to rest on his laurels and has already got big ambitions to be No.1 for both club and country as he looks to emulate Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale who has followed a similar path.
Teenager Cox said: “It’s nice to be rewarded, potentially until 2029, which means Brentford are showing a lot of faith in me. I’d love to play in the under-20s World Cup next year, step up to the under-21s and then hopefully the seniors in the long run.
“It’s what Aaron Ramsdale has done, he’s shown it can be done. I know him a little bit from the England camp, we played the seniors at St George’s Park before we played in the Euros and that was a good experience.”
Cox is confident rather than arrogant but also incredibly eloquent for his age and that should stand him in good stead for his long term ambition of one day becoming England’s No.1.
He grew up in a sporting family as his parents are both PE teachers. his sister Katie plays basketball for Great Britain and football for Chelsea and England.
Cox joined Chelsea at just eight years old but was released eight years later as he was deemed too short. He was 5ft 7in at the time, but is now 6ft 3in and used that rejection as a motivational force when he joined AFC Wimbledon.
“Getting released was the best thing for me,” said Cox. “I was a standard academy keeper, nothing too special but getting released was the best thing for me because it was a kick up the arse.
“In the moment I hated it. Worst day of my life. But looking back, it was one of the best things to happen to me. We could have a meeting or a phone call, I spoke to the academy director Neil Bath on the phone, it was a difficult conversation but you have to get over it.
“As nice as Chelsea was, you had everything given to you. The best boots, the best gloves. Wimbledon was a bit of a reality check. But everyone down there is hard working, humble and the environment was really good.”
Cox, who is represented by Jamie Moralee’s New Era agency, grew up watching Manuel Neuer who he regards as a game-changer as he was the first of a new breed of sweeper keepers and the Brentford teenager has always been good with his feet.
“Funny story but I used to play Surrey County football at eight or nine and I would play one half out on pitch, the other half in goal,” he said. “I’d do all the passing drills in training and then the goalkeeping sessions. It really developed me as an outfield player.”
Winning the Euros with England was a huge moment. He did not concede a goal in the Group stages, made a string of brilliant saves to help them beat Italy in the semi final and caught the eye again in the final when they beat Isreal.
England under-19s boss Ian Foster was not blessed with big names in the squad but the togetherness of the group was all important.
“Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala played in the team up to 17s level but then Jude moved to the seniors, Jamal moved to Germany,” said Cox. “You can have all the talent though but you need a structure to win tournaments.”
Nerves have never been an issue for Cox. Even when he nearly made his Premier League debut last season against Manchester United in what was supposed to be a live TV game. Brentford were hit by a Covid outbreak and boss Thomas Frank told Cox he would play.
“We did the training session, went through the shape and I was ready to start. Went to bed early, was going to play and then I woke up and turned on the TV only to see the game was off.
“I didn’t have nerves, I wanted to play, you sign for clubs to play for them. But I’ll keep pushing. I don’t really get nervous. I get a fuzzy feeling but once I touch the ball, it all becomes clear and I’m just a calm person.
“Age should not be a barrier. If you’re good enough, you’re old enough. That’s the way Thomas sees it.”
