Matt Mills
|
Mills with Nottingham Forest in 2016 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Matthew Claude Mills | ||
| Date of birth | 14 July 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Swindon, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1999 | Swindon Town | ||
| 1999–2003 | Southampton | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2006 | Southampton | 4 | (0) |
| 2004 | → Coventry City (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2005 | → AFC Bournemouth (loan) | 12 | (3) |
| 2006–2008 | Manchester City | 2 | (0) |
| 2007 | → Colchester United (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2007 | → Doncaster Rovers (loan) | 14 | (2) |
| 2008 | → Doncaster Rovers (loan) | 20 | (1) |
| 2008–2009 | Doncaster Rovers | 41 | (0) |
| 2009–2011 | Reading | 61 | (4) |
| 2011–2012 | Leicester City | 25 | (1) |
| 2012–2015 | Bolton Wanderers | 87 | (6) |
| 2015–2018 | Nottingham Forest | 82 | (6) |
| 2018 | Barnsley | 4 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | Pune City | 15 | (1) |
| 2019–2020 | Forest Green Rovers | 19 | (0) |
| Total | 399 | (24) | |
| International career | |||
| 2004–2005 | England U19 | 8 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Matthew Claude Mills (born 14 July 1986) is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender. He spent the majority of his career in the English Football League Championship, representing Leicester City, Reading, Bolton, Nottingham Forest, Doncaster Rovers, and Barnsley. He retired from professional football in 2020.
Born in Swindon, Mills began his youth career with the academy of Swindon Town before joining the Southampton Academy in 1999. He turned professional in 2002 and had loan spells with Coventry City and AFC Bournemouth during his time at Southampton. In 2006, he signed for Manchester City; however, his playing opportunities were limited due to injuries.
Following loan moves to Colchester United and Doncaster Rovers, he joined the latter on a permanent basis in 2008. After one season, Mills signed for Reading for a fee believed to be around £2 million. In May 2011, he captained Reading in the Championship play-off final defeat against Swansea City, in which he also scored. Later that year, after turning down an offer from Wolverhampton Wanderers, Mills signed for Leicester City and was appointed club captain. In 2012, he moved to Bolton Wanderers, where he finished third in the voting for the club's Player of the Season award for 2014–15. He subsequently joined Nottingham Forest in 2015.
After three seasons at Forest, Mills went on to play for Barnsley, Pune City, and Forest Green Rovers before announcing his retirement from professional football.
Mills was capped at youth level for England, making eight appearances for the under-19 team. His younger brother, Joseph Mills, has also played for Forest Green Rovers. In February 2009, football pundit and former Leicester City player Steve Claridge described Mills as "an old-fashioned centre-half who relishes the physical side of the game".