Matheson shoots for success
Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium is one of the world’s most famous football venues. Even though he’s still at school, 16-year-old Luke Matheson celebrated scoring there against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup at the end of last month.
Matheson scored for Rochdale, a team that plays two divisions below United in League One, in the 76th minute. His first goal as a professional (paid) player tied the game at 1-1. There was a penalty shootout to decide the winner, which Rochdale lost 5-3 and went out of the competition.
After the match, Matheson revealed he had special permission to miss school that day. “I am going in tomorrow to make up for it. I have a psychology test,” he said. Matheson has just started his A levels at Trinity Church of England Sixth Form in Manchester, and his favourite subject is history. In his GCSEs he got A grades in chemistry, history, physics, PE and RE.
Even though he’s already a professional footballer, he still wants a good education. “I love learning – it is what I want to do,” he says. “Football is not a guarantee. You never know what will happen. You could be the best player in the world but anything is possible. I want to have a back-up plan.”