TULSA – For Matt Sheldon, consistency has never been easy to come by, at least off the pitch. Since 2015, Sheldon has played for six different clubs in three different countries.
On the pitch, he’s been one of the most consistent players in the USL Championship. Since arriving in Tulsa before the 2019 season, he’s started every match he’s played, leaping into the top 10 in club history in minutes played and starts in his two years in T-Town.
Sheldon will return to FC Tulsa for the third consecutive season, one of just six players in club history to do so. Consistent. Here’s what he had to say about returning in 2021.
TULSA – For Matt Sheldon, consistency has never been easy to come by, at least off the pitch. Since 2015, Sheldon has played for six different clubs in three different countries.
On the pitch, he’s been one of the most consistent players in the USL Championship. Since arriving in Tulsa before the 2019 season, he’s started every match he’s played, leaping into the top 10 in club history in minutes played and starts in his two years in T-Town.
Sheldon will return to FC Tulsa for the third consecutive season, one of just six players in club history to do so. Consistent. Here’s what he had to say about returning in 2021.
On returning to Tulsa in 2021…
"I’ve bounced around from team to team, city to city, and even country to country for most of my professional career, so to return to Tulsa for a third year now really feels like coming home to me. Instead of starting over from scratch, it feels more like continuing to build so I’m incredibly excited to return for another year."
On reuniting with Coach Nsien for a third year…
"I’m ecstatic to continue to learn and develop my game under Coach Nsien. I really feel that over the last couple seasons he has helped me grow a tremendous amount as a player, and I feel I have a good grasp of what he expects from me and a good understanding of how he wants our team to play. I feel that I can jump into preseason and hit the ground running, where as other players at other teams might need a few weeks or even months to get to know their coach and learn their style of play."
On the defense's improvement in 2020…
"There definitely was a massive improvement with our team defense from 2019 to 2020, but, as always, it still wasn’t perfect. I think towards the end of the last season we were really starting to gel as a back line and for this next season I hope that we continue to get comfortable trusting each other back there to produce more clean sheets as well as help build the attack from the back even more consistently."
On his relationship with the FC Tulsa fans…
"The fans at ONEOK are truly some of the most dedicated and loyal fans. They’ve experienced amazing moments with the club, but they’ve also followed along through some tough seasons. Every time I step on the field I feel like I owe it to the fans to give them something to be excited for and I’m hoping that they’ll have some memorable nights again at ONEOK this season. This next year especially it’s going to mean even more stepping out and playing in front of them as last season there was a question of we could even have fans at the games. Playing some away games in empty stadiums shows you how much of an impact the fans have on the game. Fans are everything to the club."
On his goals for 2021…
"As a club, I want to get even further into play-offs. We got a taste of it last year, so this year I’m hungry to go even further. Personally, I’m looking to improve my game in the final third of the pitch this next season. I’ve been working a ton over the years, and this offseason in particular, on my crosses, attacking play, and finishing. I feel like I usually have consistent performances defensively, but I want to create more chances and help FC Tulsa score even more goals in 2021."
On returning to Tulsa in 2021…
“I’ve bounced around from team to team, city to city, and even country to country for most of my professional career, so to return to Tulsa for a third year now really feels like coming home to me. Instead of starting over from scratch, it feels more like continuing to build so I’m incredibly excited to return for another year.”
On reuniting with Coach Nsien for a third year…
“I’m ecstatic to continue to learn and develop my game under Coach Nsien. I really feel that over the last couple seasons he has helped me grow a tremendous amount as a player, and I feel I have a good grasp of what he expects from me and a good understanding of how he wants our team to play. I feel that I can jump into preseason and hit the ground running, where as other players at other teams might need a few weeks or even months to get to know their coach and learn their style of play.”
On the defense’s improvement in 2020…
“There definitely was a massive improvement with our team defense from 2019 to 2020, but, as always, it still wasn’t perfect. I think towards the end of the last season we were really starting to gel as a back line and for this next season I hope that we continue to get comfortable trusting each other back there to produce more clean sheets as well as help build the attack from the back even more consistently.”
On his relationship with the FC Tulsa fans…
“The fans at ONEOK are truly some of the most dedicated and loyal fans. They’ve experienced amazing moments with the club, but they’ve also followed along through some tough seasons. Every time I step on the field I feel like I owe it to the fans to give them something to be excited for and I’m hoping that they’ll have some memorable nights again at ONEOK this season. This next year especially it’s going to mean even more stepping out and playing in front of them as last season there was a question of we could even have fans at the games. Playing some away games in empty stadiums shows you how much of an impact the fans have on the game. Fans are everything to the club.”
On his goals for 2021…
“As a club, I want to get even further into play-offs. We got a taste of it last year, so this year I’m hungry to go even further. Personally, I’m looking to improve my game in the final third of the pitch this next season. I’ve been working a ton over the years, and this offseason in particular, on my crosses, attacking play, and finishing. I feel like I usually have consistent performances defensively, but I want to create more chances and help FC Tulsa score even more goals in 2021.”
Matt Sheldon is back at ONEOK Field for 2021! You should be too, so get your 2021 Season Tickets today by heading to www.fctulsa.com/Tickets. With an affordable payment plan, an exclusive discount on merchandise, and more benefits to enjoy, you won't want to miss out!
Matt Sheldon is back at ONEOK Field for 2021! You should be too, so get your 2021 Season Tickets today by heading to www.fctulsa.com/Tickets. With an affordable payment plan, an exclusive discount on merchandise, and more benefits to enjoy, you won’t want to miss out!