Matthew Pennington spent 16 years on Everton’s books and made nine senior appearances for the club.
After impressing in Everton’s under-21s, Matthew Pennington made his debut in April 2016 against Bournemouth.
Pennington’s most memorable moment came a year later, when he scored in the Merseyside derby against Liverpool.
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David Moyes reacts during Burnley vs Everton at Turf Moor.
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Ultimately, the centre-back failed to kick on and cement his place on Merseyside, so he was let go during the summer of 2021.
Shrewsbury signed Pennington on a free transfer, and we’ve taken a look at where he’s now plying his trade.
Bradford City centre-back Matthew Pennington.
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
Since leaving Everton, Pennington has been a consistent performer in League One, making 220 appearances in the division.
After a couple of seasons at Blackpool, Bradford City landed his signature last summer and he is now helping them to a promotion to the Championship.
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Everton manager David Moyes folding his arms.
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The 31-year-old is part of an exciting project in West Yorkshire, as his side are sitting fourth in the table, despite being a newly-promoted team.
Pennington was in action against Rotherham United last night, and he scored the winner with a diving header.
That was the 22nd goal of his career, which is a pretty remarkable feat for a centre-back.
Club Games Goals Assists
Shrewsbury 113 11 5
Blackpool 67 4 2
Everton Under-21s 60 2 3
Ipswich 31 1 –
Coventry 25 – 1
Leeds 24 – –
Bradford 20 1 –
Tranmere 17 2 1
Hull City 16 – –
Everton 9 1 –
Walsall 5 – –
Matthew Pennington’s career stats
As evidenced by the table above, the Everton academy graduate has enjoyed a productive career at some big clubs, even if he hasn’t quite played at the level many coaches around Finch Farm hoped.
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