Matt Murray
Matthew John " Matt" Murray (born 2 May 1981 in Solihull ) is an English former football goalkeeper and was most recently the English first division club Wolverhampton Wanderers under contract. As a former U-21 international goalkeeper, he was considered one of the most promising talents in English football, but had to suffer repeatedly career setbacks due to continuous bad luck with injuries.
Sports career
Matt Murray was in Solihull - Located between Birmingham and Coventry - was born and as a young soccer goalie part of the youth academy of Wolverhampton Wanderers. From a young age he had to contend with injuries; as he moved, for example, in October 2000 after only 20 minutes in the first game for the unterklassigen Leihverein Kingstonian FC a serious knee damage.
The sporty breakthrough he celebrated on August 31, 2002, when he represented at the then second division Michael Oakes against FC Wimbledon and then the remaining ascent season 2002/ 03 was goalkeeper. The crowning glory was his good performance in the decisive play- off final in a 3-0 win over Sheffield United, when he saved a penalty and received the award for "Man of the Match" after the game.
Murray competed in the 2006/ 07 a new beginning and catapulted the good start to the season in which his club won five of the first seven games with a 1-0, again in the goalkeeper position. With stable performance, he played at the end of the turn into the " team of the season ." In December 2006 he also received the award for " Player of the Month ", received from his club a new 3 ½ - year contract and was voted the best Wolves player of the season. Nevertheless, this success again ended with a bitter aftertaste, as Murray drew upon a fraction of the shoulder in the play-off match against West Bromwich Albion. During the recovery phase experienced in a pre-season friendly in the summer of 2007, the cruciate ligament in his left knee, which he missed the entire 2007/08 season. Two operations were required in total for stabilization.
As the inflammation did not go back in his knee, Murray was unable to comply with the targeted time for a comeback for 2008/ 09. On 12 November 2008 was transferred for a short time on loan to the third division side Hereford United. There he tore himself in the game against the Milton Keynes Dons the patellar tendon in his right knee that forced him to again pause. After three appearances for Hereford, he returned to the Wanderers and was on 26 August 2010 his exit from professional football known and with only 29 years.
National
As Murray had reached its zenith in the first sporting season 2002/ 03, he received in August 2002, the first appointment in the English U-21 national team. There he made his debut against Slovakia and stood until 2005 in five countries playing in goal. Since his (biological) father is from Nigeria, were representatives of the Nigerian Football Federation for possible deployment in the relevant national to him. Murray refused the request but with a hint from that he saw himself as an Englishman.