Former Burton, Hull and Bradford goalkeeper Matt Duke talks us through his football memories
First match? I’m not sure of the match, but it would have been a Sheffield United game. I remember being on the terraces when I’d go along with my dad and my brother from a pretty young age. To be fair, my mum’s more of a football fan than my dad, so it was a family thing and, as I got older, I used to go with my uncle all the time. I got a season ticket just as Dave Bassett took over in 1988, so it was a great time to be a fan. Sheffield United got relegated to the third tier but then they went up and up again. They were there for the first Premier League season, so I’ve got a lot of great memories. First hero? Peter Shilton – he’s kind of who got me into goalkeeping, really. I got the 1986 World Cup jersey for my birthday and he was the first one I really looked up to. I just remember liking his jersey and then going down to the park wearing that and going in goal. Then, literally, someone spotted me in the park and asked me to play for a team. It just went from there. It wasn’t something where I could say I always had it in mind to be a goalkeeper. It just turned out I was quite good at it! First boots? I’ve got a shocking memory, but I remember having Nike at first and then loads of different ones – Uhlsport, Puma Kings, things like that. But I think the first were Nike. Black and white, no coloured boots in my day. They were very bog standard! It’s only when I start- ed playing professionally that I found a boot I liked and that was Adidas. First kit? It would have been that Peter Shilton ‘86 jersey. I may have had a few handed down to me, but that was the first one that was my shirt. It was grey with blue on the shoulder pads. It’s the one Shilton wore in the Maradona ‘Hand of God’ goal, so it’s quite an iconic one really. Pictures went around the world. First game? It was for Burton around the turn of the century. We played Margate away and won 3-1. I signed on the Thursday and Burton were in the Southern League, so you’re travelling to Margate, which is quite a trek! I remember playing quite well and I think Margate went up that season, so they were a good team. I kind of knew I was signing for them, but it was all done and dusted on Thursday and then I played Saturday. One minute you’re somewhere and then you’re playing somewhere else. You just get on with it. I just remember being on the coach for hours and hours! First red card? I only ever got one. It was for Bradford in the 2013 League Cup final at Wembley against Swansea. If you’re going to do it once, you might as well do it right and get sent off at Wembley! I came to make a block. I think it was Jonathan de Guzman – I’ve gone to take the ball and he’s touched it round me and I’ve brought him down. Clear penalty, there were no
arguments!