Tashreeq Matthews

The attacking midfielder is one of five South Africans at Swedish top-flight side Varbergs, but has arguably been the stand-out performer at the start of their 2021 campaign.

Attacking midfielder Tashreeq Matthews is only 20 years old but has already played in South Africa, Germany, Netherlands and now Sweden, where he is excelling at top-flight side Varbergs IF. He is now hoping to settle down and push on with his career, as he tells KICK OFF’s Nick Said about his time at German giants Borussia Dortmund, what it means to have four other South Africans with him in Sweden and what he sees as his favourite position.

KICKOFF: You hail from Hanover Park, following in the footsteps of the likes of Benni McCarthy and Desiree Ellis. Tell us how you started playing the game and are you from a footballing family?

Tashreeq Matthews: I started to play at the age of four. My father also played, but not at a professional level as he did not have parents to guide him.

But he is a very passionate guy for football and he has been there since day one, taking me to training, me and my older brother. He and his brothers had nicknames in football and that kind of thing when they were younger but unfortunately they did not become professionals. But they all love football.

Did you have any footballing rolemodels who shaped your thoughts on the game?

My role model was Cristiano Ronaldo, he still is now! My father is a Manchester United supporter and he groomed me to be also. Once I started knowing about the game, I watched Ronaldo and I love the way he played.

Back when he was first at United it was a different Ronaldo to the one you see today, the goal-scoring machine. Back in the day you knew him as a free-style footballer, just like Ronaldinho and players like that.

At what age did you join the Ajax Cape Town academy?

I moved to Ajax at 11 turning 12. Before that I was next door at Vasco da Gama, playing in the Under-11s there.

I didn’t go there for trials, the head of youth, Corne [Groenendijk] came to talk to my parents and after that I just moved into the Under-12 team at Ikamva. Luke [Le Roux] was there as well at the time.

You stayed at Ajax for five or so years before a much-publicised dispute over your clearance, but finally you joined German giants Borussia Dortmund in 2018. How did that move come about?

I was playing well for the [Ajax] ABC Motsepe League team and had also played a couple of games in the MDC [MultiChoice Diski Challenge] side. I got selected for a tri-nations competition with the national team where we played against

Brazil and England.

After those games, my agents Rob Moore and Lance Davids got me some trials in Europe. After my trial at Dortmund they asked me to join the academy.

When I got there I knew Dortmund were a big club, but I was amazed by the facilities and the way they operated. The way things were done compared to what I had seen at Ajax Cape Town was amazing.

I was very excited, I knew it was going to be a great experience for me. I had to settle in, they don’t give you a lot of time to show what you have, but that is what I did.

You had a bit of a baptism of fire when you played in the UEFA Youth League …

It was an amazing experience. My first game I played against Atletico Madrid, but it came after eight months basically on the sidelines after the dispute with Ajax.

I was excited and nervous. It was not the best game I had, I was subbed out after 27 minutes. But the coach said to me afterwards that I should not worry and it was understandable given my situation. But I could see the game intensity and match level.

The next game against Club Brugge, he started me again. I was more relaxed and I enjoyed myself more. It was one of the best games I had at Dortmund.

You then went on loan to Utrecht in the Netherlands. What did you learn there?

I went there for game-time at senior level. It didn’t work out, I don’t know what happened to t be honest, but it didn’t happen for me unfortunately.

I could still play Under-19 though, so I played as many games as I could with the second team and Under-19s, just to learn as much as I could.

You were sent on another loan to Helsingborg in Sweden ...

Yeah, when I got there I was super-excited as this was another chance for senior team football. It was at a high level, but not as high as the big five [European] leagues. It started off amazing, to have a legend like Henrik Larsson as your coach. But j just as I was going t to get my work permit, the week I was going to play, he resigned due to … I don’t know what.

A new coach [former Juventus defender Olof Mellberg] came in and Helsingborg were not in a good position [in the league]. He decided that he needed experienced players in the situation that they were in.

I feel like I did everything in my power that I could have done, I showed myself … but at the end of the day it is the coach’s decision who to play.

You are just 20, but have now tasted f football in South Africa, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden. You must have

“IT STARTED OFF AMAZING, TO HAVE A LEGEND LIKE HENRIK LARSSON AS YOUR COACH.”

learnt a lot already!

It is nice to get a feeling of different styles of football in the different countries, but to be honest, as a professional it is not nice to move around all the time. It is better to have a stable place where you know you are going to be there for the next couple of years.

That gives you a chance to settle in and get yourself on the right road. But on the footballing side, you can definitely see the difference when you play in Germany and then move to the Netherlands.

In the latter, it is more about your attributes you have and your talent. It is obviously also a team game, but there they prefer it if you can go one-on-one because they leave a lot of space open to you.

In Germany, it is more a team sport, everyone works together. There is this will to win. Obviously that goes for all countries, but in Germany it is more hectic, I have never seen it like that before. The guys are really focused.

In Sweden, it is a different type of football. It is more about physique. Obviously your ability helps you, but in Sweden it is way different compared to the others and much more physical.

You joined Varbergs in January 2020 and seemed to hit the ground running, making 21 appearances for the first team. How did that season go for you?

In the beginning, I did not play the first three or four games, but once I got into the first team it was great. I had to get used to the league, and the more minutes I got, the better I think I played.

We had a really good season, not just me, but the team too. But it was a great experience, to learn about the league, the teams and what type of players you are playing against.

There are now five South Africans at the club with, aside from yourself, Keanin Ayer, Luke le Roux, Dean Solomons and Ryan Moon are also at Varbergs. Does it make it easier having so many familiar faces around?

It definitely makes it a lot easier when you are living away from home. Keanin, Luke and I live together, but also to have Dean and Ryan around is great. We also have another two African guys from the Ivory Coast [Adama Fofana] and Ghana [Gideon Mensah] here.

Off the pitch, when the weather is nice or we have an off-day the next day, we get together and play some Uno or whatever. We eat together and things like that. So off the pitch it makes it a lot more fun, and on the pitch it makes it easier as well to have them around.

Sometimes you might feel like you made a bad mistake, but they are there to tell you, ‘don’t worry about it’. Obviously everybody does that, but to hear it from them, in our way, our slang or accent, it is much better.

You personally have started the 2021 season really well, even if the club has struggled a bit. Are you happy with your form?

The performances have been good. We are playing really well, it is just unfortunate with the results we are having.

I feel good, the coach [former Sweden i nternational Joakim Persson] has more trust i n me. I am very happy with how things are going. g It is very nice playing with a coach that has h played football because he can see what type t of player you are.

He knows what he can get from you and what w tasks he can ask you to do. In terms of football, f he is fantastic. He sees everything as a footballer sees it. A coach that hasn’t played maybe m sees things differently. It is very nice working w with him.

What positions are you playing this season s and which is your favourite?

I am used as a left midfielder, or sometimes as a a number 10, an attacking midfielder. I do prefer to play the number 10 role, because once you behind the midfield it is just the defence you have to worry about.

That makes it much easier because then there is no cover behind them. It gives you space to play. If you have to go through the midfield, you have to first get past them and then know that there is still a big defender standing in your way.

Your old friend Luke le Roux was called up to the preliminary Olympic Games squad. Does that give you extra motivation as well?

“I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MYSELF IN ONE OF THE TOP FIVE LEAGUES IN EUROPE.”

It does give me motivation. Luke definitely deserves it after the performances he has had. It is good to know they are looking at us here [in Sweden]. I do believe the more performances you put in, the more games you play, you will get an opportunity to be called up as well.

Have you set yourself any targets for this season?

I just want to get some numbers up again, get some goals on the board and some assists. The best thing to do to achieve that is to just have fun and enjoy yourself on the pitch.

If you fast forward five years, where would you like to see yourself?

I would like to see myself in one of the top five leagues in Europe. I would like to be playing Champions League football. That is the main goal for me. It is a big thing … and also playing for the national team.

There is not a favourite league I would like to play in, but I will say the Premier League [in England] is fantastic.

If you look at someone like [Manchester United striker] Marcus Rashford, going forward all the time and the freedom he gets at United … a career at Old Trafford would not be bad at all …