Matthew Brooke Jansen (born 20 October 1977) is an English former professional association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. He started his career with hometown club Carlisle United F.C., Carlisle United, and also played for Crystal Palace F.C., Crystal Palace, Blackburn Rovers F.C., Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers F.C., Bolton Wanderers as well as a loan spell with Coventry City F.C., Coventry City. A goalscorer in Blackburn's EFL Cup, League Cup victory in 2002 Football League Cup Final, 2002, his career declined after a near-fatal motorcycle accident later that year. He won six England national under-21 football team, England under-21 cap (sport), caps and was called up once to the England national football team, senior national team. After three years out of contract, Jansen went into non-league football with Wrexham A.F.C., Wrexham, Leigh Genesis, and Chorley F.C., Chorley. He later went on to manage Chorley from 2015–18.

Early life

Jansen was born in Carlisle, Cumbria, Carlisle, Cumbria. He supported Newcastle United F.C., Newcastle United as a boy. He attended the independent Austin Friars school in Carlisle, where he played scrum-half for the school's Rugby union team, before completing his GCSEs and taking an A-level at St John Henry Newman Catholic School, Newman Catholic School.

Football career

Carlisle United

A creative player, Jansen's career started at his home town club of Carlisle United F.C., Carlisle United, where he scored 10 league goals. In 1997, he was part of the Carlisle side that earned promotion to the Football League Second Division, Second Division after finishing third. During the same season he also won his first piece of silverware as he came on late in extra time at Wembley Stadium (1923), Wembley for Carlisle's win against Colchester United in the 1997 Football League Trophy Final.

Crystal Palace

His performances at Carlisle had heads turning in higher leagues and he turned down the chance to join Manchester United F.C., Manchester United before signing for then Premier League club Crystal Palace F.C., Crystal Palace in 1998 for £1 million.

Blackburn Rovers

His impressive displays at Crystal Palace earned him a move to Premier League side Blackburn Rovers F.C., Blackburn Rovers for £4.1 million. Jansen showed signs of things to come when he scored against Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur on his debut in January 1999. Blackburn were relegation, relegated to the Football League First Division, First Division in Jansen's first season, but he was the star of the team which won promotion back to the Premier League in the 2000–01 in English football, 2000–01 season, finishing as the league's second top scorer, after Fulham F.C., Fulham's Louis Saha, with 23 goals. He continued to impress in the following season, scoring the 2002 Football League Cup Final, first goal in Blackburn's 2–1 EFL Cup, League Cup final victory against Tottenham Hotspur in 2002. His good form led to an England national football team, England call-up for the friendly game against Paraguay national football team, Paraguay. However, he missed out on what would be his only International football match for his nation due to a stomach bug. A motorcycle accident in Rome, Italy during the summer of 2002 nearly killed Jansen and long-term hospitalisation followed (he spent six days in a coma). In the seasons after the accident he struggled to regain his place in the Blackburn side which led to him being loaned to Coventry City F.C., Coventry City in 2003, where he scored 2 goals in 9 appearances. He made another attempt to force his way into the Blackburn team at the start of the FA Premier League 2004-05, 2004–05 season, scoring 2 goals in 8 appearances. However, it was felt that he had still not recovered mentally from the accident and was struggling to cope with the pressures of Premier League football. As a result, Blackburn decided it best for him take another break from football and sent him to visit a sports Psychiatry, psychiatrist in the US. In May 2005, Jansen signed a two-year 'pay as you play' contract with Blackburn, suggesting that the club was ready to give him one final chance to establish himself in the team after his injury, and he returned to action in a pre-season friendly against Morecambe F.C., Morecambe in July 2005. In October 2005, Preston North End F.C., Preston North End made an enquiry about Jansen, however this came to nothing. Jansen again struggled to gain a first-team place for Blackburn once the season started. The club agreed to release him from his contract on 11 January 2006.

Bolton Wanderers

Two days after release by Blackburn he signed for Bolton Wanderers F.C., Bolton Wanderers on a six-month contract, amid interest from Everton F.C., Everton, Manchester City F.C., Manchester City and Wigan Athletic F.C., Wigan Athletic. However, his stay at the Reebok Stadium was not a success and he was released in May of the same year.

Out of contract

In the summer of 2006, Jansen had a trial with Los Angeles Galaxy. Bolton manager Sam Allardyce invited the player back to England and he continued to train with Bolton. In the summer of 2007 he returned to his original club, Carlisle United, to train in an attempt to regain his fitness. Despite developing other business interests such as property, Jansen did not rule out a return to professional football, saying in July 2008, "I'm keeping myself reasonably fit...we'll see what happens." In November 2008, Blackburn announced that Jansen would return in a casual agreement to help regain fitness in a bid to have one last go at reclaiming the promising and glittering career he once had in professional football. Having trained with the club for two months, he left Brockhall with the arrival of new manager Allardyce. Jansen was present at the club's Premier League game with Newcastle United when he also featured in a pre-recorded half-time lottery draw broadcast on the club television station as part of the half-time "entertainment". On 18 February 2009, he joined EFL League One, League One club Huddersfield Town A.F.C., Huddersfield Town on trial and was given a run-out in their reserve match against Rotherham United F.C., Rotherham United the same day, in which he scored the opening goal of a 2–2 draw.

Wrexham

On 11 March 2009, he agreed a deal with Conference Premier club Wrexham A.F.C., Wrexham until the end of the season, scoring once against Northwich Victoria.

Leigh Genesis

In the close season of 2009, Jansen joined up with former teammate Garry Flitcroft, then manager of Northern Premier League Division One North, NPL Division One North side Leigh Genesis F.C., Leigh Genesis and played for them in the 2009–10 season, but when Flitcroft left to take over the reins at Leigh's rivals Chorley F.C., Chorley in May 2010, Jansen soon followed along with a number of other Genesis players.

Chorley

Jansen scored his first Chorley goal, an acrobatic scissor kick, against old club Bolton Wanderers in a 1–1 pre-season draw at Victory Park, Chorley, Victory Park. During the 2010–11 Northern Premier League#Division One North, 2010–11 season in the Northern Premier League Division One he played 20 league games and scored three league goals. He would also start both 2010–11 Northern Premier League#Division One North, play-off games which led to the club's promotion to the Northern Premier League Premier Division.

Managerial career

Jansen was assistant manager when Chorley went on to win the 2013–14 Northern Premier League#Premier Division, Northern Premier League Premier Division in 2013–14. In July 2015, Jansen became Chorley's first team manager after Flitcroft's resignation due to other commitments. He guided them to 2015–16 National League#National League North, 8th place in the National League North in his first season in charge, before reaching the 2016–17 National League#Play-offs 2, play-off final in 2016–17, narrowly losing after extra-time to F.C. Halifax Town. On 22 June 2018, he resigned from his role as manager of the club. In October 2020, he joined National League (division), National League side Stockport County F.C., Stockport County as Head of Recruitment and Player Liaison.

International career

Jansen played six times for the England national under-21 football team, England under-21 team without scoring. In 2002, he was called up by Sven-Göran Eriksson to play for the senior squad for a friendly against Paraguay national football team, Paraguay, but was unable to play due to a stomach infection. He was also expected to go to the 2002 World Cup; he was invited to David Beckham's send-off party and had his competition suit measured, but Eriksson ultimately decided to take defender Martin Keown instead.

Career statistics

Managerial statistics

Honours

Carlisle United *EFL Trophy, Football League Trophy: 1997 Football League Trophy Final, 1996–97 Blackburn Rovers *EFL Cup, Football League Cup: 2002 Football League Cup Final, 2001–02 *Football League First Division runner-up: 2000–01 Football League, 2000–01 Individual *PFA Team of the Year: 2000–01 Football League#First Division, 2000–01 First Division

References

External links

BBC Sport profile
*
Matt Jansen discovers feeling for football again at timesonline.co.uk

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jansen, Matt 1977 births Living people Footballers from Carlisle, Cumbria English footballers England under-21 international footballers Association football forwards Carlisle United F.C. players Crystal Palace F.C. players Blackburn Rovers F.C. players Coventry City F.C. players Bolton Wanderers F.C. players Wrexham A.F.C. players Leigh Genesis F.C. players Chorley F.C. players English Football League players Premier League players National League (English football) players English football managers Chorley F.C. managers National League (English football) managers Stockport County F.C. non-playing staff