‘I was the next England captain – then I found myself begging on a building site’

Matthew Briggs appeared to have the world at his feet when he came off the bench for to become the youngest player to ever feature in the Premier League at the age of 16 years and 68 days. But the former centre-back failed to make the grade in west London and was soon “begging” Colchester for a chance in after working on a building site.

Briggs, 34, hung up his boots in 2023 following a short spell with Horsham. His career ultimately took him to the likes of Coggeshall, Dartford and Gosport Borough in non-league football. He also spent time in Denmark with HB Koge and Vejle BK. It was a far cry from during his early days in the game.

Briggs joined Fulham as a 10-year-old and progressed through the club’s academy. He was called up to experience first-team action in May 2007 and came off the bench to replace Moritz Volz in the closing stages of the side’s 3-1 defeat to Middlesbrough just weeks after celebrating his 16th birthday.

The former defender, who featured regularly for England at youth level, found himself up against the likes of Mark Viduka, Jonathan Woodgate and Stewart Downing that day, with Middlesbrough managed by future England boss Gareth Southgate.

But Briggs was held back in the Fulham reserves after his debut and had to wait another three-and-a-half years before appearing in the Premier League for a second time after being named in the starting line-up to face in November 2010.

He went on to make 13 appearances in the top flight before departing Craven Cottage for good in 2014 after a series of loan spells. And discussing his career during an interview with last year, he explained: “I ended up in this situation.

“I was the youngest player in the Premier League. I was dubbed the next England captain going on to do all these big things and now [there I was in 2017], I’m just in a building site carrying a breeze block not playing for a club, not earning the money I was once on before.

“And I thought, ‘Nah this is not it for me, this ain’t it.’ And from that day I called up Colchester and I tried to basically beg them to take me back and give me another chance.”

Discussing his Premier League debut he added: “I was always say for me it was a surreal moment, it was one of the proudest moments of my life.

“It came around very quickly, unexpectedly. When I made my debut I didn’t quite actually realise what I had achieved because for me playing football was second nature – I just loved doing it.

“But when I was sat on the bench and told, ‘If you do come on, you will become the youngest player to play in the Premier League, it hit me then. I was like, ‘Alright.’”