# Matthew Sheldon

Matthew Sheldon (born August 23, 1992) is an American professional soccer player and Youtuber who plays for USL Championship side Detroit City FC.

## Early life

Sheldon was born on 23 August 1992 in Bellevue, Washington, United States. He grew up in Portland, Oregon with his brother, sister and parents. He played recreational soccer until 5th grade, when he joined his first club team. At the time, soccer was just one of many sports that Sheldon played - he played basketball, baseball and American football as well
Sheldon attended Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon. Alongside high school soccer, he played for Westside Metros Remix FC.

## College career

During his senior year, Sheldon received athletic scholarships from both UC Davis and Oregon State, as well as a roster spot from Gonzaga. He committed to play for UC Davis.

## Club career

Sheldon played college soccer at UC Davis between 2011 and 2014. He spent time in the Premier Development League with San Jose Earthquakes U23 in 2014, Ventura County Fusion in 2015, and briefly with Orange County Blues U-23 in 2016, before moving to Germany with sixth-tier side SG Kinzenbach.
Sheldon signed with United Soccer League club Orange County Blues in July 2016, making his professional debut on July 10, 2016, in a 3–3 draw with Sacramento Republic.
In November 2016, Sheldon announced that he would play for Saint Louis FC for the 2017 USL season.
In March 2018, it was announced Sheldon would play for amateur club side Waterside Karori in Wellington, New Zealand.
On January 14, 2019, the Tulsa Roughnecks FC announced that they had signed Sheldon for their 2019 season. On December 10, 2019, it was announced that Tulsa, now rebranded as FC Tulsa, had re-signed Sheldon to their roster for the 2020 USL Championship season. On December 15, 2020, it was announced that FC Tulsa, had re-signed Sheldon to their roster for the 2021 USL Championship season following a successful campaign with the club in 2020.
On December 30, 2021, it was announced that Sheldon had signed a contract with the Charleston Battery ahead of the 2022 USL Championship season. Following the 2022 season, Sheldon was released by Charleston.
On January 31, 2023, Sheldon was announced as a new signing for USL Championship side Hartford Athletic on a one-year deal.
Sheldon joined Detroit City on January 24, 2024. A corresponding transaction saw Skage Simonsen join Hartford from Detroit.

## Personal life

Sheldon also operates two notable YouTube channels called Become Elite as well as the Against All Odds Podcast which combined currently have over 678,000 subscribers. Both channels give a behind the scenes look into the life of a professional soccer player.
He married his partner, Mimi Estelle on December 4, 2021.
When asked who motivated him to become a soccer player, Sheldon cited his parents as a motivation to become a professional athlete, he stated in an interview "My parents were the biggest supporters of my athletic career since the start. My Dad pushed me to go for a D1 scholarship when I was unsure of my capabilities. They supported me every step of the way, and without them I don't know if I would have even made it to Varsity High School soccer. Having the belief of your parents is such a huge motivation as a young athlete".