Matt Dibley-Dias

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Matt Dibley-Dias
Personal information
Full name Matthew Max Dibley-Dias
Date of birth (2003-10-29) 29 October 2003 (age 21)
Place of birth Lower Hutt, New Zealand
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) [1]
Position(s) Central midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Fulham)
Youth career
2008–2011 West Ham United
2011–2016 Brentford
2016–2024 Fulham
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2024– Fulham 0 (0)
2024–2025 → Northampton Town (loan) 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 January 2025

Matthew Max Dibley-Dias (born 29 October 2003) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Fulham.

Contents

Early life and family

Dibley-Dias was born in Lower Hutt, New Zealand to a Brazilian father and a New Zealand mother. He moved to England with his family at a young age. [2] [3] He is the grandson of Brazilian footballer Manoelzinho, [4] and is eligible to represent Portugal and Brazil internationally through his father, England and New Zealand through his mother. [5] [6]

Club career

Dibley-Dias has been described as "in strong form for Fulham’s U-21 side and as "being touted as a first-team player in waiting". [7] He mainly operates as a midfielder and is known for his long-shooting ability. [8] [2]

He joined the youth academy of English Premier League side Fulham at the age of fourteen, [9] and signed a three-year professional contract with the club in September 2021. [2] In 2023 he signed a contract extension to 2027. [10] He received the Johnny Haynes academy player of the year award for the 2022/23 season. [11] [12] He has appeared on Fulham's bench four times, including at the end of their 2022–23 Premier League season and for their 2023–24 season opener. [5] [11]

In July 2024, Dibley-Dias joined League One side Northampton Town on a season-long loan deal. [13]

International career

Dibley-Dias accepted a call-up to play in friendly matches on behalf of the All Whites in October 2023, but was unable to play due to a hamstring injury. [5] [14] All Whites coach Darren Bazeley said the injury was a "real shame". [14] The New Zealand Herald noted that Dibley-Dias "has been pursued by Bazeley and New Zealand Football for a long time". [15] He had previously rejected an offer to play for New Zealand at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup due to opportunities with Fulham. [10]

Career statistics

As of match played 17 August 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeague FA Cup EFL Cup OtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Fulham 2023–24 [16] Premier League 000000—00
Total0000000000
Fulham U21 2023–24 [16] ———2 [a] 020
Northampton Town (loan) 2024–25 [17] League One 1000100020
Career total1000102040
  1. ↑ Appearances in EFL Trophy

Honours

Fulham U21

Fulham U23

Fulham U18

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Matt Dibley-Dias". Fulham F.C. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 "Kiwi midfielder Matt Dibley-Dias signs pro football contract for English club Fulham". Stuff. 28 September 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  3. ↑ Robinson, Nick (29 September 2023). "Squad Yarns & Preview". The Niche Cache. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  4. ↑ "Matt Dibley-Dias: The Story So Far". Fulham FC. 22 June 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Voerman, Andrew (22 September 2023). "All Whites secure promising Fulham midfielder Matt Dibley-Dias for October friendlies". Stuff. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  6. ↑ Braga, Thiago (18 April 2021). "Neto de ex-jogador do Corinthians brilha na Inglaterra; seleções já sondam". UOL. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  7. ↑ "Dibley-Dias on verge of breaking into English Premier League". Friends of Football NZ. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  8. ↑ "Silva's faith in Fulham's future". The Athletic. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023.
  9. ↑ Vegas, Paul (9 September 2023). "Matt Dibley-Dias delighted penning new deal". Tribal Football. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  10. 1 2 Voerman, Andrew (17 September 2023). "Darren Bazeley eager to meet dual-national prospects around All Whites match in London". The Post. Wellington. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  11. 1 2 Smith, Dom (16 November 2023). "Fulham may have a generational talent as best young stars assessed". Evening Standard. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  12. ↑ "Bazeley confirms Fulham teenager will join All Whites for October internationals". Friends of Football. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  13. ↑ "Northampton sign Fulham's Dibley-Dias on loan". BBC. 26 July 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  14. 1 2 Rollo, Phillip (12 October 2023). "Fulham teenager Matt Dibley-Dias ruled out of All Whites matches". Stuff. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  15. ↑ "Teenage Premier League midfielder included in All Whites squad for first time, Sarpreet Singh also returns for October games". The New Zealand Herald. 29 September 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  16. 1 2 "Games played by Matt Dibley-Dias in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  17. ↑ "Games played by Matt Dibley-Dias in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  18. ↑ "Fulham U21 v Spurs U21, 2023/24 | Premier League Cup". www.premierleague.com. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  19. ↑ "Premier League Division 2, 2021/2022 | Premier League Division 2". www.fulhamfc.com. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  20. ↑ "Premier League South Division, 2020/2021 | Premier League South Division". www.fulhamfc.com. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  21. ↑ "Johnny Haynes Trophy, 2022/23 | Johnny Haynes Trophy". www.fulhamfc.com. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
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