Matt Ridenton

[WoodleyRoyal]

Reading FC take New Zealand midfielder on trial
Newcastle Jets' Matt Ridenton is linking up with Royals this week
Reading have taken New Zealand midfielder Matt Ridenton on a week-long trial.

The 23-year-old, who plays in Australia's A-League for Newcastle Jets, will spend the next five days training with Royals as he seeks to earn a permanent contract.

Ridenton began his career in his homeland with Auckland City before moving to Wellington Phoenix in 2013.

After a five-year spell with the 'Nix, he joined Newcastle in May 2018 to link up again with former boss Ernie Merrick.

He has scored two goals in 35 appearances for the Jets to date.

The club confirmed his temporary departure early on Monday morning (UK time), saying: "Newcastle Jets can advise that midfielder, Matt Ridenton has been granted a week’s leave of absence to pursue an opportunity overseas.

"The Kiwi international is currently on trial with an EFL Championship club.

"It is expected that Ridenton will be back in training with the Jets following the Round 15 clash with Melbourne City."

Ridenton's contract with the Jets expires this summer. He has six caps for his country.


https://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/foot ... n-17556618

[WestYorksRoyal]

[Stranded]

Fair enough - potential low risk/high reward signing if he impresses. Good to see we are looking outside of the more established markets for value.

[TadleyURZ]

Given he has flown from the other side of the world I am not sure a week is long enough?

[NewCorkSeth]

Twitter says he is on the bench for the bottom team in the division..

[Snowflake Royal]

Fair enough, you've got to cast your net wide. Presumably sometimes you sign young players just to fill out Academy positions and make up the numbers, maybe give some experience of other nation's football cultures.

But strikes me as more of a Brett Williams/ Ryan Edward's than anything else and I'd tend to prefer our own academy lads get more of a swing at the first team.

[skipper]

Can someone remind me of the circumstances around Bobby Convey's transfer? Was he a nobody and Coppell unearned him?

[Hendo]

Can someone remind me of the circumstances around Bobby Convey's transfer? Was he a nobody and Coppell unearned him?

Not really, was already established at DC United which, even back then, was probably better than Australian A-League, he had also already made his debut for USA.

Wikipedia also mentions that DC United played Newcastle in a friendly and he caught the eye of Sir Bobby Robson.

He was also set to join Spurs as well, but the deal fell through due to work permit issues.

Not a well known player, but hardly an unknown either if you follow the right leagues/teams.

[Sutekh]

Be very surprised if the club would sign a player who is 24 in March and then play him in the Academy U23 side. Therefore he’s going to have to be good enough to play Championship football now to earn a deal.

[Snowflake Royal]

Basically the same thing.

[From Despair To Where?]

Can someone remind me of the circumstances around Bobby Convey's transfer? Was he a nobody and Coppell unearned him?

Not really, was already established at DC United which, even back then, was probably better than Australian A-League, he had also already made his debut for USA.

Wikipedia also mentions that DC United played Newcastle in a friendly and he caught the eye of Sir Bobby Robson.

He was also set to join Spurs as well, but the deal fell through due to work permit issues.

Not a well known player, but hardly an unknown either if you follow the right leagues/teams.

He was the youngest ever player to be drafted into the MLS and was a part of a successful US under 17's side. Very much a rising star of American soccer and, as Hendo points out, already a full international when we signed him and clearly on the radar of a number of Premiership clubs.

[Norfolk Royal]

His youtube highlights are very encouraging. I'm pretty sure that at one point he passed to a team mate ten yards away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rdJaJ0Cc9k

[Sutekh]

His youtube highlights are very encouraging. I'm pretty sure that at one point he passed to a team mate ten yards away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rdJaJ0Cc9k

[Platypuss]

His youtube highlights are very encouraging. I'm pretty sure that at one point he passed to a team mate ten yards away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rdJaJ0Cc9k

I especially liked the high-paced tik- taka at about 1 minute in.

Fukk watching 8 more minutes of it.

[NewCorkSeth]

His youtube highlights are very encouraging. I'm pretty sure that at one point he passed to a team mate ten yards away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rdJaJ0Cc9k

Ok I have changed my mind. Sign him up.

[From Despair To Where?]

His youtube highlights are very encouraging. I'm pretty sure that at one point he passed to a team mate ten yards away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rdJaJ0Cc9k

80% of his passes were backwards. Are we 100% sure he's not on trial with London Irish?

[Stranded]

His youtube highlights are very encouraging. I'm pretty sure that at one point he passed to a team mate ten yards away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rdJaJ0Cc9k

Good to see that his Dad is supportive of his career choice.

[72 bus]

His youtube highlights are very encouraging. I'm pretty sure that at one point he passed to a team mate ten yards away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rdJaJ0Cc9k

He must be a relative of Bowen's, can't see how else he would be on our radar going by those "highlights"

[Snowflake Royal]

His youtube highlights are very encouraging. I'm pretty sure that at one point he passed to a team mate ten yards away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rdJaJ0Cc9k

I couldn't take more than 2.30 mins of that. I mean, there's some tidy passing and a bit of movement. But nothing remotely impressive, the game's at walking pace and nothing interesting happened, all the time in the world.

[Hound]

that video was like one of those charity games they have on TV. Was half expecting to see Mo Farah ask for the ball and get tackled by some bloke off Love island.