HEAD START
Psychology degree shows Newport goal hero Matt the power of positive thinking
NEWPORT hero Jamille Matt has revealed why he has a head start in FA Cup mind games.
The 29-year-old journeyman striker, whose goal helped slay Premier League Leicester in the shock of the third round, has a degree in psychology.
Matt’s 14th goal of the season set up the League Two side’s epic 2-1 win over a team who are seventh in the top flight.
The Jamaican-born forward has had a fairly unspectacular career, taking in Kidderminster, Fleetwood, Stevenage, Plymouth Argyle, Blackpool and Grimsby.
No one has ever paid a fee for him but his starring role against Leicester set the tills ringing at Rodney Parade.
Matt revealed that when it comes to psyching out the opposition, he has an ace up his sleeve – his degree from Wolverhampton University.
“It was a different route from many who come into the professional game,” he said.
“I went to sixth form and then university and was playing for Sutton Coldfield.
“In my final year at university, I got a call from Kidderminster who were in the Conference National and full-time so I played for them.
“Credit to them. They allowed me to train a couple of times a week while finishing my degree and I got a 2:1. Not too bad.”
And he thinks his qualification does have applications in the hustle and bustle of professional sport, adding: “I have played quite a few games now, so I’ve learned to take the highs and the lows.
“I know if you stick to your guns you will get another chance. Psychology plays a massive part in sport and I am one of the more experienced players, so I try to pass that on.
“It was something I did at sixth form and it was something I took to straight away.
“I have not always had a professional environment and so it has helped.”
Fellow goal hero Padraig Amond is another with hidden talents – he dabbles with sports journalism by writing a weekly column for the Carlow Nationalist weekly newspaper in his native Ireland.
It was the 30-year-old’s 85th-minute penalty which ensured the man who also coaches Newport’s Under-16 side found himself splashed all over the back pages. Amond said: “It’s something I’ve done for the last seven or eight years – I think this week’s column might be done with a bit of a sore head.
“I’m absolutely chuffed to bits for everyone. What we’ve done out there is now down in history.”
Club chairman Gavin Foxall said: “What a fantastic result – it’s just unbelievable. This isn’t just about the team out there on the pitch, you can see what it means to the city.
“Financially, it’s massive for the club. You can never plan for a cup run because that would be ludicrous so when it happens, it’s just like a dream.”