Bradford City Sign Hayden Matthews on Loan

Bradford City have moved to strengthen their back line with the season-long loan signing of Portsmouth defender Hayden Matthews.

The 22-year-old centre-back, capped once by Australia, heads to Mbanq Valley Parade looking for the regular football that has eluded him at Fratton Park. Portsmouth paid £1.25m to bring him in from Sydney FC in January 2025, a deal that underlined how highly they rated him, but injuries have repeatedly stalled his progress.

He has managed 20 appearances for Pompey, his last competitive outing coming in the 1-1 draw with Birmingham at Fratton Park on the final day of last season. Since then, it has been about rehab, recovery and waiting for another chance.

That chance now comes in West Yorkshire.

Matthews becomes Bradford’s third recent loan addition, joining QPR midfielder Kieran Morgan and Blackburn Rovers defender George Pratt in a squad that is being reshaped with targeted temporary deals. The pattern is clear: fresh legs, hungry players, and a back line built on competition.

Bradford now know what comes next. Matthews has to turn promise into presence.