Kiwi Players Elsewhere

Max Mata (St Patrick's Athletic | Ireland)

452 replies · 129,348 views
22 Apr 22:08
coochiee
After results overnight in League One, Mata's parent club Shrewsbury Town confirmed as staying up. Be interesting to see what happens with Mata now.

Hopefully they bring him back to the UK soon and he's gets a proper pre season in, to get a fair crack at the League this time.

He also likely needs a bit of a break. He's had continous back to back football seasons, since 2023 LOI stated in about March last year.


He's going back in May - Not sure if it's the beginning of the end of the month though.

“Max played a full 18 months with us, went to England in July and played all the way through. He’s still playing. There was interest in January from clubs in England and Scotland."

“I think it was always his ambition that when the season finished, he could get a break and let his body readjust, come back fresh in pre-season in July."

“The deal we did was we could keep him until May and get an extra couple of games out of him as their season finishes in April.

“And it will benefit him and us to get him back enjoying his football and scoring goals.

“But he will get that break because he can’t go back into pre-season without getting that break. It wouldn’t be right for him or the club that are paying his wages.

[The Irish Sun]


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22 Apr 23:17 · edited 22 Apr 23:20 · History
Okay cool, Mata definitely will need a break, as he hasn't stopped playing since about March last year.

But what of the OFC Nations Cup in mid June?  Wood is getting married then so he's likely unavailable, plus Forest will probably say anyway it's the Nations Cup or the Olympics but not both. And the Woodsman will choose Paris over Port Vila.

So Mata being most like for like with Wood, will be wanted by Bazeley in June.

Remembering that there is a lot of valuable ranking points at stake with the Nations Cup apparently, which might see the AWs get a easier draw at 2026 WC (if yes we qualify). So Baze needs to have a reasonably strong side.

So from a selfish NZ perspective I reckon Max needs to leave Sligo now. Have a break, start pre season at Shrewsbury late May. Nations Cup in June, then back to Shrewsbury to continue pre season.

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26 Apr 20:55 · edited 26 Apr 23:20 · History
Not in the squad for today's 3-1 loss at Drogheda. Still unsure of the loan situation, and if that has indeed come to an end yet or not.

Max' grandfather also passed during the week, so that could explain an absence from the squad as he looks to rush back home to NZ.

Condolences to Max and the Mata clan for their loss.
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03 May 22:11
Mata full game in a 0-1 loss. No Pijnaker.

20 yr oild Joseph Forde (ex Perth Glory) on the bench for Waterford.
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07 May 03:11
Sligo break their winless trot.  

Mata 68 mins (1-0) in a 1-0 win. No Pijnaker 
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10 May 22:35 · edited 11 May 00:31 · History
Mata 64 mins in a 0-0 draw.
No Pijnaker
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16 May 02:10 · edited 16 May 06:28 · History
Mata's loan deal at Sligo is thankfully finished. He can rest up, and hopefully be available for next month's OFC Nations Cup, before returning to Shrewsbury for pre season.

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligo/sport/soccer/john-russell-backs-sligo-rovers-strikers-rein-smit-and-wilson-waweru-to-step-up-as-max-mata-leaves/a77125169.html

Sligo Rovers manager John Russell says he’s not worried about where goals will come from following the departure of striker Max Mata whose loan spell from Shrewsbury expired last Friday night.

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04 Jun 02:18 · edited 04 Jun 02:18 · History
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04 Jun 06:07
https://open.spotify.com/episode/462h8V2UdClRjS8xKDjDfP?si=OHM0S235QxuUi5Szy-eWXA
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07 Jun 20:35
Good move for Mata.
Not sure what the fuxk Shrewsbury Town are up to with their squad though.

Even though they've made a couple of signings overnight, including a striker from Cheltenham Town with a scoring record of 22 goals in 187 games (💀) they've got a squad of 10 (11 if you include Max) for 24/25 as it stands. I think a couple of their squad that they were looking to retain have also opted to sign elsewhere as well...

Really doubt he features in their first team plans going forward, and it definitely sounds like they're trying to shop him out to try and recoup at least some of what they paid for him. Hope it works out for him at Auckland though, as I rate him as a Chris Wood understudy for the years to come in the national team setup.

For the record - 73 games since the Irish league kicked off at the beginning of 2023. Take a breather lad.
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07 Jun 22:00
Yipe once the Nations Cup is over he’ll get a well earned break before AFC pre season starts
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24 Nov 07:14
11 minutes in 2 games. Ireland his level clearly.
Supporter world's best and worst football teams: Waikato/WaiBop, Kingz, Knights, Phoenix, The Argyle, The Whites & the All Whites

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24 Nov 08:39
Wonder if Shrewsbury are considering bringing him back from loan. They are struggling 2nd from last, with only 11 goals in 16 games.

https://us.soccerway.com/national/england/league-one/20242025/regular-season/r81935/

He didn't do much last League One season with them, but then he had no pre season with them, plus they played him mostly as a winger apparently. He's a target man.

If Corica ain't gonna play him, then he might as well be sitting on the bench for his parent UK club who are struggling for goals.

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24 Nov 11:19
Well it does show at least that Shrewsbury’s issues weren’t his alone! 

But both him and Waine have disappointed me with how they’ve gone in league one. Maybe they need to look for something in Belgium or back in Switzerland or something similar? Waineo needs to start. He’d surely be a starter in the A league. 

Disappointed not to see more of Mata, especially with how many chances Auckland are creating and how few they’re putting away. 


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24 Nov 11:24
Marto
11 minutes in 2 games. Ireland his level clearly.

Auckland FC playing with no number 9. Struggling with shooting and finishing in a big way. Not sure I’d 100% blame Max. 

Take out the OG and the two Josh handed them, they’d have scored 3 goals in 4 games. That’s absolutely ridiculous for their possession, field position and cash available. Uffie regularly beats that in a game. No wonder Sydney cut Corica, tbh.


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24 Nov 13:23
I think the Shrews know he's not good enough.

The weather here is shark in England (and Ireland) right now. I'd take bench warming in Auckland over the shark here any day of the week atm.
Supporter world's best and worst football teams: Waikato/WaiBop, Kingz, Knights, Phoenix, The Argyle, The Whites & the All Whites

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04 Jun 04:18 · edited 04 Jun 04:34 · History
coochiee
Niche Cache. Mata to report for pre season training in Shewsbury.

Max Mata has been promised a “clean slate” if he returns to Shrewsbury Town

https://www.shropshirestar.com/sport/2025/05/21/shrewsbury-duo-to-have-clean-slate-when-they-return-for-pre-season-training/

If they play him up top as a more traditional #9 instead of the more often that not winger type role when they had him last, then they might get more of a return out of him. 


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04 Jun 04:22
Marto
I think the Shrews know he's not good enough.

The weather here is shark in England (and Ireland) right now. I'd take bench warming in Auckland over the shark here any day of the week atm.

How’d you rate his stint starting? 

Plenty good enough for the A league. Not clinical enough for the big bucks yet, but should be, hopefully, too good for league 2. 

Shrewd move to let him go on loan. It’s guna be like a new signing for them. 

Yeh- being back in Auckland would be possibly be better for the player! But maybe not for the club that holds his contract. Unless he tears up League 2 and can get a move to Europe or higher up out of it.


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04 Jun 05:00
Surely he can do a job in L2. If not that's his international career over I'd say.
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04 Jun 05:42
Did you see the name of Shrewsbury home ground? Croud Meadow
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15 Jul 23:46
No Mata in any trail games. Injured? Or maybe a return to A league?
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16 Jul 12:10
Trials.

Niche Cache

Among other preseason action over the weekend, Ben Waine came off the bench and scored for Port Vale in a 5-1 win against Bath and then he started and scored in a 3-2 win against a PFA Select team (made up of current free agents). Two in two. That’s what he’s gotta do to work his way into minutes there. Max Mata could stand to do the same at Shrewsbury but unfortunately he’s missed all three friendlies so far with a minor injury complaint. 
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16 Jul 21:10
Napier Phoenix
Did you see the name of Shrewsbury home ground? Croud Meadow

G.a.y Meadow.
Proud to have attended the first 175 Consecutive "Home" Wellington Phoenix "A League" Games !!

The Ruf, The Ruf, The Ruf is on Fire!!

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20 Jul 07:50 · edited 20 Jul 09:30 · History
Edit: misread something, sorry. 

Good start. 


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20 Jul 08:05
Or just a nothing riding on pre season game?
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20 Jul 09:29
watching_from_far
Or just a nothing riding on pre season game?

Oh nah - rewatched it- my mistake. Thought he was guna go arm over the shoulder and stopped, but he’s talking about the play and gesturing where he wants the ball. My bad. 


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26 Jul 21:06
Not good news for Mata unfortunately. Missed today's friendly with Burnley after doing his hammy at training late in the week. 

In the post match interview the gaffer has said it's a bad one too, so probably looking at 1-2 months on the sidelines...


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29 Jul 07:55
https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2025/07/29/all-whites-forward-max-mata-out-for-a-while-with-hamstring-injury/

Shrewsbury’s head coach Michael Appleton said after the draw with Burnley: “The only downside this week is Max Mata picked up a hamstring injury, which looks like it’s going to keep him out for a while.

“It’s not only a blow for us, it’s a blow for him.

“It’s obviously something that he suffered back end of last season when he was on loan. Unfortunately, on Thursday in training, he pulled up quite sharp, and I don’t think it’s going to be a short one, put it that way.”

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01 Sep 17:14
One would assume he would go straight back to afc but yes I would also take him
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01 Sep 18:38
How bad is his injury?
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