Steven Gerrard is putting together a squad that he believes can challenge for a European place next season. However, right-back is one area of the pitch that looks more reliable than elsewhere. The Villa boast one of the most impressive young full-backs in the Premier League in the form of Matty Cash, and he has quickly become a firm fan favourite throughout his spell at the club.
The 24-year-old impressed more than any other player for the Villa last season, which led to rumours that he could be set to depart the club. However, thankfully, Villa look set to keep hold of the Polish international. You can learn more about his life and times right here.
Early Career
Cash started playing the sport from a young age and was picked up by Wycombe Wanderers when he was 12 years old. He spent the first two years of his career with the team, before moving to the FAB Academy in 2013 due to financial problems at Wycombe. After a season, he would sign for Nottingham Forest and play in the youth levels for two years before signing his first professional contract in October 2014.
The right-back would go on to spend the first part of the 2016-17 season on loan with Dagenham & Redbridge, where he played 12 times and scored three goals. His first goal in professional football came during his spell with the Daggers, as he found the net in a 3-1 win against Hartlepool United.
Nottingham Forest
His big breakthrough would come during his first full season back at Forest. He was quickly seen as a star for the future at the City Ground, as the club tied him down to a new three-year deal in August 2016, which would see him remain at the club until 2019. Cash made his first-team debut a day after signing his new deal, and quickly caught the eye in a 4-3 win against Burton Albion. His performances over the first months of the season gained positive reviews from ex-professionals, with Kenny Burns claiming that the performances of the younger stars were putting more experienced campaigners to shame.
Cash’s season would be hampered early in the 2016-17 campaign though, as he fractured his tibia in a 2-2 draw at Villa Park in the League Cup. The injury kept him out for three months, but he made a pleasing return to action in the league against Barnsley. A month later he was linked with moves to teams playing in the Champions League, but Forest held on to the player despite bids being made by both Chelsea and RB Leipzig. Furthermore, he signed another new deal to keep him at the City Ground until 2021.
Injury once again derailed his 2019-20 campaign, but he scored his first goal for Forest in a 2-1 defeat against West Brom. However, it was during this campaign that he would begin to play at right-back. By the time of the 2019-20 season, Cash was already the club’s first choice right-back, and his performances were beginning to draw admirers. However, he remained loyal to Forest and despite interest from AC Milan, West Ham, and Everton, he remained at the club until the end of the campaign. That decision was vindicated as he picked up the club’s player of the season award.
Aston Villa Move
It seemed only a matter of time before Cash would be playing in the Premier League, and his big break came when he signed for Aston Villa in the summer of 2020. The Midlands club paid £16 million for his services, and he penned a five-year deal at Villa Park. Cash’s Premier League debut came against Sheffield United, before he scored his first goal at the start of the 2021-22 season against Everton.
The 2021-22 season was the campaign that really saw Cash emerge as one of the league’s best right-backs. He scored a second goal for the club against Brighton, which was later a contender for Goal of the Month, before he showed solidarity to his Polish teammate Tomasz Kedziora when celebrating the goal following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Cash’s season would end with no shortage of personal honours, including winning the Player of the Month and the club’s Player of the Season award. Villa was quick to tie down the right-back at the end of the season as they agreed to a new five-year deal to fend off interest from Atletico Madrid.
Switch To Poland
Cash has also been making his mark on the international game after applying for a Polish passport in September 2021. His application was accepted in October, and at the beginning of November, he received his first call up to the Polish national team.
The Villa right-back made his international debut in a World Cup qualifier against Andorra, before he scored his first international goal in a Nations League draw against the Netherlands in June 2022.
