Position: Defender
Birthdate: 8/23/1992
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Previous Club: FC Tulsa
College: University of California, Davis
Height: 6-0
Matt Sheldon enters his first season with the Black and Yellow after signing with the club in December 2021. He brings with him bags of experience and marked the first new player signing by Head Coach Conor Casey.
Sheldon arrives in Charleston following a three-year tenure with FC Tulsa where he became a staple to the Oklahoma outfit’s back line and helped lead the team to their second-straight playoff appearance.
The 6-0 defender logged 2,523 minutes played in 2021, the second-most on the team. He also ranked top-three for Tulsa in interceptions (48), tackles won (40) and duels won (182), marks that would place him first or tied for first on the 2021 Battery squad. On offense, Sheldon contributed two goals, three assists and 21 chances created across 30 appearances.
A native of Portland, Oregon, Sheldon has amassed experience both in the United States and abroad. This included stints in the USL Championship with Orange County SC and Saint Louis FC prior to joining Tulsa, in Germany with SG Kinzenbach, and in New Zealand with Waterside Karori AFC.
Before going pro, Sheldon was a standout player at the University of California, Davis, where he racked up all-conference honors in his junior and senior years with the Aggies.
Sheldon has also established a global following via his popular YouTube channel “Become Elite”, which has over 460K subscribers as he gives a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a professional footballer, and his podcast titled “Against All Odds” where he regularly does Q & A’s and features his fellow teammates.
