Matthew Shiels

Matthew Shiels
Personal information
Date of birth (2000-09-13) 13 September 2000
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position Left back
Team information
Current team
 Queen's Park
Number 22
Youth career
Rangers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2021 Rangers 0 (0)
2018 → Edinburgh City (loan) 3 (0)
2019 → Dumbarton (loan) 8 (0)
2020 → Orange County SC (loan) 0 (0)
2020 → Clyde (loan) 6 (0)
2021–2023 Hamilton Academical 35 (0)
2023–2024 Dumbarton 17 (2)
2024 Cove Rangers 8 (0)
2024–2025 Dumbarton 25 (3)
2025– Queen's Park 36 (1)
International career
2017 Republic of Ireland U18
2018 Republic of Ireland U19
2018–2019 Scotland U19 10 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 4 May 2026

Matthew Shiels (born 13 September 2000) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a left back for Queen's Park.

Early and personal life

Shiels was born in Glasgow.[1] His paternal grandparents were from Donegal in Ireland,[2] and he grew supporting Celtic.[3]

Club career

After playing youth football for Rangers, and spending loan spells at Edinburgh City, Dumbarton and Clyde,[4][5][6] as well as in the United States with Orange County SC,[7] Shiels signed for Hamilton Academical in summer 2021.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14]

Shiels left Hamilton in June 2023[15] and re-joined Dumbarton in August 2023[16] scoring his first goal for the club in a 4–0 victory against Bonnyrigg Rose in November 2023,[17] in a game where he also won a penalty and provided an assist.[18] After impressing for the Sons, he left for Scottish League One side Cove Rangers in January 2024 – scoring on his final appearance for the Sons in a 4–1 defeat to Rangers.[19][20] He left Cove after just eight appearances,[21] and returned to Dumbarton on a season long deal in the summer of 2024.[22]

He signed for Queen's Park in June 2025,[23] and renewed his contract with the club in May 2026.[24]

International career

Having previously been called up for Scotland at under-17 level, in November 2017 he was called up to the Republic of Ireland under-18 squad,[2][25] making his debut on 9 November.[26]

He also played with the Republic of Ireland under-19s,[27] before later reverting his international allegiance back to Scotland,[28] playing ten games for the Scotland under-19 team.[29]

Playing style

Shiels plays primarily as a left back, but also played as a left winger and striker for Rangers.[30] On signing for Dumbarton in August 2023 he said he preferred playing in a more attacking role.[31] During his time with Queens Park, he was described by the club as a " dependable utility man [...] playing a variety of positions".[24]

Career statistics

As of match played 18 October 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Rangers U20 2017–18[32] ———1[c]010
2019–20[33] ———1[c]010
2020–21[34] ———0000
Total ———2020
Edinburgh City (loan) 2017–18[32] Scottish League Two 30———30
Dumbarton (loan) 2019–20[33] Scottish League One 8010000090
Orange County SC (loan) 2020[1] USL Championship 0000——00
Clyde (loan) 2020–21[34] Scottish League One 60004000100
Hamilton Academical 2021–22[35] Scottish Championship 8010001[c]0100
2022–23[36] Scottish Championship 27030437[d]0413
Total 350404380513
Dumbartom 2023–24[37] Scottish League Two 17231002[c]0223
Cove Rangers 2023–24[37] Scottish League One 80———80
Dumbartom 2024–25[38] Scottish League One 253104000303
Queen's Park 2025–26[39] Scottish Championship 110004000150
Career total 1135911631201509
  1. ↑ Includes Scottish Cup, U.S. Open Cup
  2. ↑ Includes Scottish League Cup
  3. 1 2 3 4 Appearance(s) in Scottish Challenge Cup
  4. ↑ Four appearances in Scottish Challenge Cup; Three appearances in Scottish Championship play-offs

Honours

Hamilton Academical

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Scotland – M. Shiels – Profile with news, career statistics and history – Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com.
  2. 1 2 McNulty, Chris (6 November 2017). "Rangers man with strong Donegal connections gets Irish call-up – Donegal Daily". www.donegaldaily.com.
  3. ↑ "Dumbarton's Matty Shiels set for Cove Rangers switch after Scottish Cup goal – Daily Record". www.dailyrecord.co.uk. 22 January 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  4. ↑ Matthew Shiels at Soccerbase
  5. ↑ "Matthew Shiels Joins Clyde On Loan". www.rangers.co.uk.
  6. ↑ McNulty, Chris (September 2020). "Rangers player with Donegal links goes out on loan – Donegal Daily". www.donegaldaily.com.
  7. ↑ "Rangers Players Head to Orange County SC, Francis Jacobs to Play with Rangers U-16". Orange & Black SoccerCast. 3 February 2020.
  8. ↑ "Shiels signs pre-contract with Accies". 14 May 2021.
  9. ↑ Thomson, Paul (17 September 2021). "Former Rangers kid Matthew Shiels raring to go at Hamilton after injury hell". Daily Record.
  10. ↑ McGilvray, Andy (18 December 2021). "Leaving Rangers for Accies is already benefiting defender Matthew Shiels". Daily Record.
  11. ↑ Pirie, Mark (25 June 2021). "Rangers academy graduate on first team pathway frustration". GlasgowLive.
  12. ↑ "Rangers exit 'the best thing for my career' says Matthew Shiels as he prepares for Hamilton spell". 3 June 2021.
  13. ↑ "Rangers youngster Matthew Shiels released by Ibrox side and pens deal at Premiership club". HeraldScotland. 14 May 2021.
  14. ↑ "Rangers youngster Matthew Shiels released by Ibrox side and pens deal at Premiership club". Glasgow Times. 14 May 2021.
  15. ↑ "Departure of several players – Hamilton Accies". 15 June 2023.
  16. ↑ Crawford, Jack (4 August 2023). "MATTHEW SHIELS SIGNS FOR DUMBARTON". Dumbarton Football Club. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  17. ↑ Clarke, Fraser (10 November 2023). "Dumbarton's Matty Shiels says confidence is key to sparkling recent showings". Daily Record. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  18. ↑ "Dumbarton 4–0 Bonnyrigg Rose – Red hot Sons prove too strong for Rose – Daily Record". www.dailyrecord.co.uk. 6 November 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  19. ↑ Crawford, Jack (23 January 2024). "Duo depart Dumbarton". Dumbarton Football Club. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  20. ↑ Clarke, Fraser (22 January 2024). "Dumbarton's Matty Shiels set for Cove Rangers switch after Scottish Cup goal". Daily Record. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  21. ↑ Gordon, Richard (29 May 2024). "Squad Update". Cove Rangers FC. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  22. ↑ Crawford, Jack (31 May 2024). "MATTY SHIELS IS BACK AT THE ROCK". Dumbarton Football Club. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  23. ↑ "Matthew Shiels is a Spider". 17 June 2025.
  24. 1 2 Oliver, David (26 May 2026). "Matthew Shiels Signs Up for next season".
  25. ↑ McDougall, Mark (6 November 2017). "Rangers striker Matthew Shiels handed shock Republic of Ireland call-up". Daily Record.
  26. ↑ McNulty, Chris (10 November 2017). "Rangers striker Shiels makes Irish debut in Spain thanks to… – Donegal Daily". www.donegaldaily.com.
  27. ↑ "Coveted Rangers starlet Matthew Shiels enjoys debut victory with Tom Mohan's Ireland | Derry Journal". 13 February 2018.
  28. ↑ "Why Scottish-Irish footballing relations have been at a low ebb for 20 years". independent. 11 June 2022.
  29. ↑ "Matthew Shiels | Scotland | Scottish FA". www.scottishfa.co.uk.
  30. ↑ Thomson, Paul (18 September 2021). "Rangers had me as striker and left winger, I can be Accies' utility man – Shiels". Daily Record.
  31. ↑ Clarke, Fraser (9 August 2023). "Returning Son Matty Shiels says title ambitions convinced him on Dumbarton move". Daily Record. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  32. 1 2 "Games played by Matthew Shiels in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  33. 1 2 "Games played by Matthew Shiels in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  34. 1 2 "Games played by Matthew Shiels in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  35. ↑ "Games played by Matthew Shiels in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  36. ↑ "Games played by Matthew Shiels in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  37. 1 2 "Games played by Matthew Shiels in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  38. ↑ "Games played by Matthew Shiels in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  39. ↑ "Games played by Matthew Shiels in 2025/2026". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  40. ↑ Raith Rovers 0–1 Hamilton Academical, Andrew Petrie, BBC Sport, 26 March 2023
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