| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Matthew Christopher J. Baker[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 18 December 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Harrogate, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994-1996 | Leeds United | ||
| 1996-1998 | Hull City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1998–2000 | Hull City | 2 | (0) |
| 2000 | → Bradford Park Avenue (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2000–2004 | Hereford United | 124 | (0) |
| 2004 | Wrexham | 13 | (0) |
| 2004–2006 | Milton Keynes Dons | 57 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | Weymouth | 0 | (0) |
| 2007 | → Rushden & Diamonds (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| Total | 204 | (0) | |
| National team | |||
| 2003–2004 | England C | 4 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
|||
Matthew Christopher J. Baker (born 18 December 1979 in Harrogate, England) is an English former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He stood as a Conservative council candidate[2] in Leeds in 2010 but was not elected.
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Baker comes from Leeds, and played for four years with Leeds City Boys. He was originally on the books of Leeds United as a schoolboy. However he was signed as an apprentice at Hull City in 1996 and progressed through the youth ranks and turned professional in 1998. However he suffered a knee injury which sidelined him for a season, but he eventually made two substitute appearances for the first team. He also made a sub appearance in the League Cup against Liverpool at Anfield, after Lee Bracey was sent off. He was released, after a spell on loan at Bradford Park Avenue, in 2000.
He was snapped up by Hereford United of the Conference, where he was second choice goalkeeper to Scott Cooksey in the 2000-01 season, although he started two league matches conceding a goal in each. However a serious wrist injury forced Cooksey onto the sidelines, and eventually into retirement, meaning Baker started the 2001-02 season as first choice keeper. He quickly established himself in the team and played all but five first team matches that season. Most notably he had an inspired performance in the FA Cup against future club Wrexham, a match which was televised live by the BBC, as Hereford won 1-0.
The following season he gained experience training with Aston Villa, and was an ever-present in the first team. He repeated this consistency in the 2003-04 season where Hereford came close to promotion to the Football League, a season which turned out to be his last for Hereford. During this period he also made four appearances for the English semi-professional side.
In the summer of 2004 he signed for Wrexham. However he spent only six months at the Racecourse Ground before signing for MK Dons, for whom he made over 60 first team appearances. Two years later he signed for Conference side Weymouth on a free transfer. However he is yet to make a first team appearance for the Terras, and due to his not featuring in any pre-season friendlies for Weymouth in 2007-2008, since returning from his loan spell at Rushden & Diamonds it would seem he has not renewed his contract with the Dorset club.
On 2 March 2007 he was loaned to Rushden & Diamonds. On 20 July he joined Macclesfield Town on trial[3] and was reported to be doing well.[4] On 22 August 2007, however, a local Milton Keynes newspaper announced that he had been forced to retire following a serious knee injury while on trial at Macclesfield.[5] Shortly afterwards he became a reporter for Dons World, the Milton Keynes Dons' official web TV station,[6] having started a degree in Sports Writing and Broadcast Journalism in 2006.[7] He graduated from Staffordshire University with a degree in Professional Sports Writing and Broadcasting in summer of 2008.[8]
Matt is an active Conservative Party member and a local resident of Weetwood Ward, where he stood (and lost) to be a Leeds City Councillor in the 2010 local elections.[9]