Matt Bentley - MLS Draft Day Chaos, Non-League Grit At Maidstone & USL Comeback - E22

This week on The Back Stick Podcast, Dom Okus and Jamil Roberts are joined by Chattanooga Red Wolves striker Matt Bentley!

We delve into Matt’s incredible football journey, from a whirlwind MLS Draft experience with Minnesota United to battling through the chaos of non-league football in England with Dover and Hornchurch. Matt opens up about his time at Richmond Kickers, his return to the UK with Maidstone, and how he found his way back to the United States to chase new dreams with Chattanooga in USL League One.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Settling into Chattanooga and bonding with a young squad
• The madness of draft day and why the MLS Draft system needs major changes
• Life grinding in non-league football, balancing work at Amazon, and never giving up
• Signing his first professional contract and the emotional highs and lows
• How community, culture, and opportunity brought him back to the USA

Matt’s story is an inspiring reminder of resilience, persistence, and chasing your passion despite all odds.

⚽ Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and leave a review – it helps more people find incredible football stories like Matt's!

🎧 Available now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify & everywhere you listen to podcasts!

00:00 "Warm Welcome" For Matt...

03:14 Settling into Chattanooga and Team Dynamics

06:06 Crazy MLS Draft Story!

08:27 Is The MLS Draft A Flawed System?

17:11 Non-League Football With Dover & Hornchurch

21:57 San Diego Stories

29:58 Transitioning to Professional Football

32:57 Signing Your First Professional Contract

38:59 Perceptions of USL Football

43:51 Reflections on Richmond and Moving Back to the UK

50:58 Returning to the US and New Opportunities

56:21 Chattanooga Rivalry

01:01:00 Community and Soccer Culture in Chattanooga

01:02:50 Extra Time

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Transcript

Dom Okus (00:00)
Hello everyone and welcome to the Backstic podcast. I'm your host with the Most Dom Oldkiss and I'm here with my co-host the Bwadjan, Jamil Roberts. How doing, bro?

Jamil Roberts (00:11)
Dom, I'm good mate, it's been a couple of weeks. We've both been busy little bees out there, but we're back, we're back doing what we do best. And we got a good friend with the pod on today and we're both excited for this one. It's been a long time coming as well. So I'll tell you what, I'll let you introduce the boy and we'll get on with it, mate. But firstly, how are you?

Dom Okus (00:35)
Yeah, I'm good. Like you said, we've both been super busy in our personal lives. We're still trying to give everyone the content. So yeah, I'm really excited to get into this episode with a close friend of mine. taught him everything that he knows. So I'm just so happy to see my son flourishing like this, man. So without further ado, introducing my young G, Matthew Bentley. Welcome to the pod, bro.

Jamil Roberts (00:50)
You ⁓

Matt Bentley (00:50)
this guy.

Yeah, cheers boys, thanks for having me. Dom is waffling there, by the way. Absolute waffle. But I'll let him have that one still.

Jamil Roberts (01:06)
Hahaha!

you

Dom Okus (01:13)
So first question just before we even dive into you know who you are and what you're doing How many years do you think you have left before you go bald?

Matt Bentley (01:26)
The maddest thing is

before we started he said like, you're my boy, like this, that and the other. Bro, the hairline's straight, you know? The hairline's straight. Bro, that's come from nowhere, Jams, innit? That's genuinely come from left field, you know? I'll end this thing right now, you Nah, nah. Not on a serious one, though. I feel my hairline's very straight. I can't even carry on, I don't know what to say.

Jamil Roberts (01:33)
⁓ my god!

Dom Okus (01:35)
No access.

Next time.

Jamil Roberts (01:50)
⁓ my god.

Dom Okus (01:51)
Do you know what is?

Because we always give Matt banter yeah because he does crazy things with his hair. Like he does all this kind perming and dyeing and whatnot. we always, I always tell him, I always tell him that he's going to end up like Aubameyang. Like he's going to be, he's going to be cooked very, very soon. But no, I just wanted to break that actually a little bit.

Matt Bentley (01:59)
I said permanent.

finish.

Jamil Roberts (02:07)
Hey, hey, hey, by

the way, on the subject of Arsenal Football Club, was it, did it finish, did it finish 2-2?

Matt Bentley (02:12)
⁓ mate.

We're in an interesting spot right now.

Yeah, we 2-2 still. I was just watching the game now. We're in very interesting spot. think, obviously, we know that the league's done, so all the eggs are in the Champions League basket. I think we're going to do it, you know? You're going to hear me. I've said it first. I think we're going to win it. Look at them rolling their eyes, bro. What? I can't be supporting my team. I'm fuming, though. I'm fuming. So we actually have two off weekends in May.

Jamil Roberts (02:28)
Yeah.

BOLD.

Dom Okus (02:38)
Yeah, you can dream. You can dream.

Matt Bentley (02:43)
And my birthday is in May, one of the weekends, and then the Champions League finals the weekend after. Neither of those are off. It's the two weekends that I could not care about are off in May. So I'm fuming. Nah, literally like when Rask scored the free kick, Scott texted me, was like, oh, Declan Rask. I was like, oh yeah, I'm looking at tickets for the final. And he just like laughed. I don't think he clocked that, I was being like genuinely serious. Man was looking at tickets to Munich. You know what mean? It was tactical injury and that.

Dom Okus (02:43)
Mm-hmm.

Stinker. Stinker.

You

Yeah.

Nah, super funny, great start to the pod, but let me tee you up properly. So college football star, current USL striker at Chattanooga Red Wolves, formerly Richmond Kickers. You just recently moved to Chattanooga, obviously you've started the season, you've been in good form, you've been in good form and I think you've, you know, start to find defeat again in the USL. So just first and foremost.

How's the move been to chat and how you settling into new team and obviously new city?

Matt Bentley (03:46)
Yeah, no, I'm really enjoying it so far, I can't lie. Obviously, our team's a little bit younger, so I'm one of the older guys on the team as well. So that's like a different experience for me because like now we're doing like the old people. I'm in that part, which is a little bit humbling, you know? But no, it's good. Like I get along with all the players and I think as a group, we're really like close together. And I think that's going to get us a lot of points during the season. I think you can tell with teams. Jams will tell you as well in the USL.

As the season goes on, teams begin to split, stuff starts to surface from other teams across the league. And I feel like because we all get along so well and we're going to be really together and we've bonded and we've done stuff, we went on a little retreat during pre-season to some cabins in the woods. It sounds crazy, know, I have to give context to this, but we went with a cafe he worked with our team and we went and when you explain it, it sounds kind of dumb, but it was actually a really good time. Obviously, we did the usual initiations, the singing and that.

and it just brought the team together. And I think there's been like trips as well where we've been like, we went to California and then we went to Vegas and then we were back and we were playing on Saturday. And there's the reason why we're getting results is because we're all genuinely brought in into the team. yeah. And then in Chattanooga itself, I think it's a cool city. mean, there's a lot of stuff to do. I think it's like beautiful to like go on walks and stuff. Something that I didn't really do as much, but obviously like in terms of time off the pitch, I think it's good to like do things that you don't usually do. So.

That part of it has been really good. had a boy visit for a week and because of that we were visiting lots of things that I wouldn't usually do and I've really appreciated the city. Some good spots to go out and drink at too, as James has been telling me. yeah, looking and going, okay, no. But no, so when it really touches summer, think yeah, Chattanooga will be even better. So yeah, no, I've enjoyed it so far.

Jamil Roberts (05:25)
Nah, nah, nah, nah, where are they?

Dom Okus (05:27)
Hahahaha!

Good, good, good, good. Yeah, and I'm glad that you two are connected on that. Obviously, for those who living under a rock, Jam was at Chattanooga last season, obviously no longer there, Matt's there this season, so glad you lot are sharing your experiences, both being UK boys and giving them all the spots to have some fun. But one thing I have to say about Matt being a close friend of his is there's been a lot of trials and tribulations up until this point to even get to this spot. So I want to go back a little bit for us to go forward.

Matt Bentley (05:52)
No.

Hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Dom Okus (06:06)
am

I actually gonna start on a positive note the day you got drafted to the MLS by Minnesota United? So just talk us through that experience. I remember it because I was at work and I was refreshing the page on the MLS website to see your name pop up. So just tell us from your perspective how that happened.

Matt Bentley (06:10)
Yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

So it's a bit of a mad story actually. I'd actually, I was flying back to college from London and there was a weather delay. So my flight actually got delayed in Houston, the day before the draft. So I had to stay overnight and then fly the next day. let's say it was the third and fourth round of the draft. So was the first year they changed it. So rounds one and two are on Monday and then like three and four, like two days later. So anyway, my flight was at like 12, let's say, and the draft starts at 11.

So I'm in the airport now and I'm getting ready to go on my plane and the numbers are going down. And I knew that a couple of teams that were interested in me, so those teams are later on in the draft. Anyway, so imagine, I've sat down on the plane. I've literally sat down on the plane now, yeah, and I've refreshed it and I've seen my name, like Matthew Bentley, Minnesota. So I'm gassed. I'm so gassed right now. But the air hostess is doing her final checks and then my phone rings and it's the gaffer from Minnesota.

So I've answered it, yeah. So I'm just like, oh, congratulations, welcome to Minnesota. And as he's speaking, the air hostess has come up to me and she's like, no, you've to get off your phone, we're about to take off. I'm like, no, no, no, wait, wait, I've been drafted. And she's like, yeah, I don't care. Yeah, she was like, I don't care. So I was like, oh, sorry, Gaffer, I'm just on a flight. And I thought it was a terrible first impression. So I put my phone down and then I put it in airplane mode, obviously, you're going on the flight.

Dom Okus (07:35)
don't care.

Matt Bentley (07:46)
And I just took a moment because I was gassed. can't lie, I was so gassed. And then when I landed in Springfield, I turned my phone on and like I've said this story so many times, but let's say my phone was on like 100 percent. It went down to like 70 or 80 and it was just like buzzing off, like reimbursed, like everyone from the school, like my boys and everything. It was that so sick. And it was just mad how quick the process was as well, because I was flying out to Minnesota like two days later and stuff like that. Like the whole thing was just that. Yeah, it was a crazy experience.

I'm glad obviously it would have been nice to have been at school and been with my teammates for it. But at the same time, ⁓ it was just cool to get drafted, to be quite honest.

Dom Okus (08:26)
Yeah, sick. No, sick, sick, sick. And I hear Jem's story about his as well. And it's sick, man. It's a great moment. But do you think it lived up to what you thought it was, being drafted? Because I always thought drafted means you've got a contract. But then I found out from you boys that it's not that. So at what point in the process did you find out that actually I was still going to have to go on trial, essentially?

Matt Bentley (08:33)
Hmm.

No.

Yeah.

Well, to be fair, I was quite aware of it, like going in, especially because I was going in the later round. So I feel like the general consensus, well, back then anyway, when I was getting drafted, so this was 2020 SuperJar, I feel like if you're in the top 10, you were going to get signed straight away, let's say, or like top 15, let's say, like there was a general, general feeling that you'd get signed, but the rest of it, you were going in with the idea that you probably would, would get signed or like in that first 15.

Dom Okus (08:56)
Rep.

Matt Bentley (09:20)
So anyway, as I was going later, I knew it kind of be like, all right, cool, go there and like see what you can do. ⁓ and it annoyingly it was before there was MLS next. So there was no like actual affiliated second team with a Minnesota who I got drafted by. So their closest team. So they, they had like a little affiliation with Ford Madison. but it wasn't like if you signed for, yeah. So it's not like if you signed for, for Minnesota, you're guaranteed to go there. It was just the thing of that. I believe that was the closest us L club.

Jamil Roberts (09:33)
What, no, not even a USO championship?

Yeah, that's nothing, is it? Yeah.

Matt Bentley (09:50)
So that's where they would loan a lot of their players. So I kind of knew that you had to like perform well to do it. And when I was going in, my agent at the time was sort of telling me the impression that they were looking to sign me and then loan me out. So like that kind of made me feel a little bit better because I was like, all right, cool. Like I've got, I'll be able to play somewhere kind of thing. So I went in there, yeah, a little bit confident, but you're right. It is a trial. And when you're trying to explain that to people as well, like when I was going around school, people like I just assumed I'd signed.

and it was kind of like, nah, I've actually got to go there and they were shocked. So yeah, it definitely is a little bit weird, but I had a little bit of an idea going into it. So yeah, what about you James? How did you feel going in? Were you more aware of it or not?

Jamil Roberts (10:33)
Well, my experience is very different because mine was the first draft after everything opened back up after COVID. So for me, the spring of 2020, like early on, I tore my hammy.

Matt Bentley (10:41)
Yeah, yeah.

Jamil Roberts (10:53)
So then I was out for the whole spring, then the spring season was canceled, then the fall was canceled. And basically I was about 196 pounds in like December, not literally. No, no, no, no, no, this was before like, this is before the draft. So anyway, literally, literally.

Matt Bentley (10:54)
Yeah.

done.

Is that because you're a party from winning?

⁓ this was even before? Yeah, of course. So this is you partying and just being a bum. You know what's there?

Dom Okus (11:16)
Ha ha ha!

Jamil Roberts (11:18)
Mate, I mean, yeah, it's cool to mention on the pod now, like, I mean, I was living with my ex-misses through lockdown, like, her family were very generous and, you know, they had a lot of booze to give out and a lot of nice food as well. So I was indulging and I was enjoying myself probably a bit too much. So obviously then it rolls back around and... ⁓

Matt Bentley (11:25)
Yeah, yeah.

chopping life I hear it

Jamil Roberts (11:43)
then I sort of get myself fit and we get back in for the fall. And then like the combines start happening and basically there's no full season for them to base anything off. So they're doing everything off of the full 2019 season, which put me as like one of the me and probably me and Grayson Barber who funny enough both ended up going to Sporting KC.

Matt Bentley (11:52)
Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

Jamil Roberts (12:04)
we were like the top two wingers in the country at that point. So then I kind of knew I was gonna get drafted, but I was just slipping down, obviously the international factor or whatever just slipped down. But then I didn't end up going until after that, what would have been the 2024.

Matt Bentley (12:07)
Yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Jamil Roberts (12:23)
like that

spring season, because may I, if I went to Sporting KC for my trial after being drafted, the shape that I was in, like they would have booted me out the door before I even kicked the ball. And I said this, I literally remember the GM at the time, or I don't remember what role he was, was Brian Bliss. And I remember like Peter Vermeese rang me the gaffer and then.

Matt Bentley (12:29)
Yeah.

Yeah, that's my...

Dom Okus (12:35)
Ha!

Matt Bentley (12:44)
Mm.

Jamil Roberts (12:49)
⁓ bliss rang me and he was like, yeah, we want to get you out here. Same thing as what you said in a few days, like blah, blah, blah. And I said, I was like, bliss. I need to like, I seriously need to have a conversation with like the gaffer and Marshall about like what's best for me to do. Cause like I'm really not in a good position to show you the player that you've drafted. And then the thing is if you get spat out early from that situation, you're behind, you're behind the curtain for all the usl sign-ins and everything. And you're even more on the back foot. So for me, it was like, it was a little.

Matt Bentley (12:53)
Yeah, yeah,

Yeah.

Mm-mm.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

Jamil Roberts (13:19)
bit more weird because of that COVID period. But like you say, mate, I think it's a flawed system is kind of what we're both alluding to, right? Like I think it is, it's not the same as it's drawn up to be in the NFL or in the NBA or the MLB, for example, where there is like a ⁓ set trickle down system for the lads that don't, but they also do sign the majority in the MLS. I think it's so outdated for the, for the football and soccer model. And like it definitely needs updating and it is a bit of a flawed system.

Matt Bentley (13:24)
Yeah.

Mm.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Jamil Roberts (13:49)
because if you look at the amount of good players that fall out of that system, you can't call it a successful one.

Matt Bentley (13:55)
Yeah, no, the success rate from being drafted to actually being like an MLS starter is so low. It's like so low. So yeah, you're right. And that's probably why MLS Next has come in. And I've heard from a few people that as soon as you get drafted, a lot of them don't even go into the first team. They go straight to the second team. So that doesn't, that does not surprise me at all. about how you were saying when you came in, because I was coming in after Christmas, I was going into preseason. So it wasn't as if I came in from my college shape either. So I'd obviously done it like,

Jamil Roberts (13:58)
Yeah.

Mmm.

Matt Bentley (14:24)
done stuff over Christmas, thinking that if I get drafted, I'll be in decent shape. I still went in and I was like, well, like it, I feel like with all those environments, I feel like it just takes a time to like, when you actually go in, like the first couple sessions, you're a bit like, wow, like this is, this is where you're at. But I feel like you gradually begin to adapt. And I can honestly say this, like looking back, I wouldn't necessarily say like my trial was like the best version of myself, like for whatever reason, I've always

Jamil Roberts (14:40)
Yeah, yeah,

Matt Bentley (14:52)
Like as I've got older, I've been more honest about it kind of thing. Like when I was first there, was like, yeah, I think I was decent, for example, but I wasn't showing like the level I was at maybe in college per se for that variety of different factors, let's say. But the thing that killed you most, what killed me is obviously we went into the COVID year, but as well as that, I got released, let's say like four weeks later, but the teams that were interested in me in the USL before the draft had already signed other players. So I was kind of in a situation now where I didn't actually have like

very many teams to go to. And then COVID happened and I got up. Have I told you about the way I got released as well? It was, mate. So, so like I was, I was actually in the hotel. like, imagine that at the start of the week. So this is like the start of the third week. Yeah. So that I've gone in, I've called my agent and my agent's gone there like 50, 50 on you. Like you've got a game this week that I go out and show that what you can do. got 50, 50 in the sense that they were confident they wanted to sign me, but like

Jamil Roberts (15:23)
you

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Dom Okus (15:30)
Tell us.

Matt Bentley (15:50)
send me out alone, or that's the impression I got. I don't know if that was true or not, but that's what you told me. So anyway, we've gone into the game, yeah? Or like we've gone into the week and like I've gone to training and there's a new DP striker. So I'm like, ⁓ like you already, I mean, you know, in the reps, like you've gone from like, let's say one, two, three, you're now one, two, three, four. So like you've gone like down in the order. So anyway, we've got to like the final game of the week, let's say. I played like 15 minutes. So I already like, I knew that it weren't the best situation.

Dom Okus (15:55)
What?

Matt Bentley (16:19)
Then I've got back to the hotel after that game. The hotel, yeah. And then the gaffer's called me and he's just like, look that. We're not going to sign you. We've obviously just signed a new striker. We've got a new young striker there as well. He's not getting many minutes and blah, blah, blah. So whatever the reason. This is before we flown home to Minnesota, by the way. So he's told me, yeah, I've still got to get on the coach, go to the airport with all the players and they were talking about whatever. And I'm thinking, what am I going to do?

and fly home to Minnesota. So they're asking me bare questions about next week and I'm kind of like, yeah, yeah, maybe that, yeah, we'll see. In my head, knowing that I'm not there. So like, yeah, it was a mad experience that, but yeah, I'm happy with where I'm at now and I feel like that experience has definitely opened my eyes to professional football because for me anyway, that was my first step into it in that sense. So yeah, the ruthlessness of it anyway.

Dom Okus (17:10)
So, yeah,

so what did you end up doing next, right? You've just been kind of let go from Minnesota. USL teams have probably sorted out their rosters. So what did you end up doing?

Matt Bentley (17:18)
Yeah.

I was in lockdown. That's what I was in. I was in lockdown. I had go back to school. I still had a semester left. So just went back to school. ⁓ And I stayed in America. I actually did my OPT with like a team in Missouri ⁓ kind of thing. I pretended to work for them. And then I was like kind of just playing football and just chilling. And then it got to about August time because my agent was like, stay in America because things will open up and you can go to teams. like teams were being very funny about that bringing people in at this point. was because

Especially with the USL, a of the roving used to be driven by fans and there was no fans at games so they weren't really keen on an international spot. So I ended up just going home really. In August I went back to England and yeah that was it.

Dom Okus (18:03)
And then that's when you're thinking about, I'm going to try and pave away for myself in the non-league game, right?

Matt Bentley (18:08)
Yeah,

kind of. like, I went back and then also add another bit of shit timing because then when I went back to England, everything shut down there. So that football wasn't even going on there anymore. So I was just like in a bubble. So I actually was, I was working in Amazon warehouse, know, like Amazon warehouse job, like grinding, like it was mad. And then in this time as well, I didn't, I even forgot about it. Now, do know what's mad? But I couldn't, the warehouse, it was a mad thing. I remember my shift was like six to one.

Dom Okus (18:24)
I do remember.

Jamil Roberts (18:27)
There we go. Proper. That's what you learned.

Dom Okus (18:30)
Hehehehehe ⁓

Matt Bentley (18:38)
I'd get there, like I'd always check in on my phone, with Amazon, if you're within a certain area, you can check into the warehouse. I'd be like speeding there in the morning, but I was mad. I was, was grasped in a way, in those big fucking like steel cap boots. And like our warehouse was so stripped as well, so you couldn't even listen to music. So like the job was mad boring. But at the same time, no one was doing anything. So I was like, I have money on the side. So that, that was a good thing. But I was training with Dover at the time. So just before lockdown happened as well. So Dover in the National League at the time.

And the gaffer was about to offer me a dildo. So I was buzzing. And then like, the next day, they actually pulled out of the National League. They said they weren't going to play in the National League anymore. So then that was my opportunity there. Done. Yeah, they just refused to play Jams. It was mad. They were like, so the league was giving out like grants or loans. I can't remember the whole story, but let's say like, there was meant to be some grant or it doesn't have to be paid back, think a loan does. And basically they were saying that they didn't want to have

They didn't want to have to pay back the money that they would be given or something along those lines. I can't remember the exact thing. So because of that, they couldn't sign. They weren't going to play. And annoyingly, I wanted them to sign me and then put me on furlough. But like it was like two days before that. So I was just, again, stuck without football and just working in Amazon. So yeah, it was mad. And then I ended up signing for Horn Church and helping them in their FA trophy run, which is mad. They ended up winning that.

But instead of going to Wembley, I actually flew out to Lions Bridge instead to play for the summer, which I suppose some people consider a mad decision, but for me, I knew I wasn't going to play in the final. So I was like, yeah, I'd rather play football myself. Yeah, it was a bit of a mad one.

Dom Okus (20:18)
Absolutely mad. So tell us a little bit about how that happened. So you're still in contact with like your coaches and whatever in the US while you're doing the horn church thing. Cause you've kind of got one eye on coming back to the US and that's why you went to Lansbridge.

Matt Bentley (20:29)
Yeah,

yeah, so that my boy, our boy, should say, Spenor, he knew the head coach there, Chris Welly, and he was like, Oh, are you interested in coming up to Lions Bridge? That blah, blah, blah, blah, kind of full. I still had my OPT from the summer before in Missouri. So because of that, I could actually fly back to America. They weren't giving out estus, so no one else was able to. So I was kind of thinking, well, I'm going to be doing nothing in the summer anyway.

Dom Okus (20:37)
Yeah.

Matt Bentley (20:58)
Why not? And when he brought it up to me, there was like a host family. So again, that covers everything. And I was like, yeah, chance to play football. And importantly, I still wanted to play in America. And I knew if I went back into America, there'll be a chance that I could go and trial with teams and things like that. So it just made sense for me. Lions Bridge. Newport News was cool. Lions Bridge was cool as well. We had a decent season. And then like being there really helped me to be fair, because I could go and trial with teams. And eventually that led me to signing with Richmond. So yeah, worked out well.

Dom Okus (21:25)
I remember that when you scored that free kick at Lions Bridge, you scored a mad free kick, I remember sick.

Matt Bentley (21:29)
Oh, That summer,

but I don't believe that I used to take free kicks now. It's crazy. I have to pull up the tapes. I had to do it in training the other day. Because you know what it is, yeah, I hate being that guy, but they just weren't having it. But every team I've been to since then has had free kick takers. So it's not like I've been on them. And then like now, I feel like I'm just rushed. took one the other day and if I tell you the result, I prefer not to speak in it. I prefer not to speak.

Dom Okus (21:38)
What?

Yes!

Jamil Roberts (21:57)
I can tell you where it went, it went down the bank, didn't it? Shit.

Matt Bentley (21:59)
down the bank bro it trickled

it trickled down it was a counter-attack bro that's how bad it was that ⁓ poor it was poor but nah nah don't worry though don't worry i'll get my i'll get my lip back still i'll i'll do a bit of chaining but nah that's summer nah that's summer

Dom Okus (22:06)
Matt stop embarrassing me man what's going on bro

Jamil Roberts (22:12)
It's the same, mate, don't worry,

mate. It's when people don't believe me that I used to play on the wing anymore. Why? I've lost the yard of pace. All I can do is cross it from deep and take corners.

Matt Bentley (22:18)
Nah, your one's bit more believable, though. Do you know what mean? Nah, I'm joking, I'm joking. Nah, I'm joking. But nah,

Dom Okus (22:22)
Ha

Matt Bentley (22:29)
that summer,

yeah, I was. And then from that summer to go on, so then I went to go trial with Richmond Kickers. And to be fair, they wanted to sign me straight away. But sorting out the international spot, because it was like halfway through their season, was tough. So he was like, I'll give you a contract next. We want to sign you for next season.

but I still wanted to look for a team now. So then I went to trial with a few other teams. I went to San Diego and I loved San Diego. Oh my God. That was like, if I could live anywhere in America, it'd be San Diego. And I actually thought I was going to sign there as well. This is another story where I was like, at this point when this happened, I was kind of like, is it going to happen? So I went in there for let's say a week trial. And let's say by the Friday, I thought I was signing to the point where my agent was asking me what sort of terms and things like that. So it was cool.

Dom Okus (23:14)
Beth.

Matt Bentley (23:15)
Then we had a trial game on a Sunday. did decent in that, or I thought I did decent. And at the end of the trial game, he just pulls me, and he's like, yeah, we thought we were going to sign you, but we're not anymore. This striker's come available from the MLS, and it's a guy called Augie Williams. Jams might have heard of him, actually. He's a USL vet. And he was like, yeah, we can sign him on loan, rather than have a rookie. And it just makes more sense for us. And to be fair to him, he's a good striker. at the time, I kind of like...

Dom Okus (23:32)
Okay.

Matt Bentley (23:44)
That's one of the ones where I was actually like, yeah, that's just like the ruthlessness of the game. But I've gone from thinking that I'm signing there to now not having anywhere to go. It was mad. It was actually a mad time.

Dom Okus (23:55)
And if San Diego FC, the team that Thames is no one owner of, is that right?

Matt Bentley (23:59)
No,

no, no. there was the San Diego loyal. So they don't exist anymore. They disbanded when the MLS team come in.

Jamil Roberts (24:02)
Mm.

Yeah, they folded. Yeah.

Dom Okus (24:08)
Got it, got it,

got it, got got got it.

Jamil Roberts (24:10)
It's funny you say that about San Diego though, mate, because ⁓ in 2019 in college, we went and played against, what's the school down there? San Diego State. So we went, we did it, Unbelievable trip, by the way. How our gaffers pulled this. We've gone on a 10 day trip to Cali.

Matt Bentley (24:16)
Hmm.

San Diego State. Yeah.

Dom Okus (24:22)
and Diego State.

Jamil Roberts (24:34)
So we've flown to LA and played against Loyola Maramount, which is like neighbors to UCLA and all of that. So we've just spent five days on LA, right? It's actually a crazy story, I'm gonna go into it. Okay, properly. Right, so. Listen, mate, some people come for you, but people come back for me and Dom, right? I remember that.

Matt Bentley (24:36)
Yeah.

Yeah, yeah,

Dom Okus (24:42)
Yep.

Matt Bentley (24:48)
Yeah. I didn't know it was the Jams episode, but anyway, go on, carry on. No, I'm joking, I'm joking. I'm genuinely curious.

Dom Okus (24:48)
Yeah, dude.

Hahahaha!

Matt Bentley (24:58)
Yeah, I hear it, I hear it, I hear it. I hear it.

Dom Okus (25:01)
Remember that, remember that, remember that. Mind

yourself. yeah, clown jobs.

Jamil Roberts (25:04)
⁓

So we've gone there and basically like all of us we've never been to LA like not one person on the team and like the whole team like same as you boys in college there's a lot of Europeans there like South Americans like never never ever been step foot in California let alone like you know that

Like LA, like real LA, you you're walking around, you think you're walking down in like GTA like this, then that sort of vibe. So night before the game, like Gaffer, stupidly, like he's gone, give us per diem.

Dom Okus (25:29)
Yeah, literally. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jamil Roberts (25:38)
instead of just having dinner in the hotel. So obviously like most of us have gone out on the piss and like we're doing well at this point and it's the first time Marshall have ever done well. So we've gone out, we've gone on the piss, we're pretty, pretty drunk. And we ended up getting the bus back to the hotel. It was like 10.30. So we've had like four hours or five hours of drinking. Like remember I was having a beer at like 10 o'clock on Santa Monica Pier and I've got a game like the next day. And I'm thinking like, this is just not going to go well, is it at all? Anyway, and,

I knew that I was carrying a hamstring injury as well. So I knew I was on the bench as well. So I knew, yeah, so I knew I was, I knew I was already on the bench. Anyway, someone goes down injured 15 minutes into the game, right? So I'm like a little bit fuzzy, Gaffer's gone right, Jam, need you. Come on, swear to God.

Matt Bentley (26:11)
This guy, man, that's, that's, that's all right, If you're on the duty, it makes it a little bit better.

Dom Okus (26:26)
⁓ stinker.

Jamil Roberts (26:34)
been on the pitch for 20 seconds, I scored with my first touch. We one nil up. We won the game five one, right? Half the teams hung over. We stayed the night in LA, ⁓ met up with one of our boys, a Brazilian boys that did like strip clubs, all this on a Tuesday night in LA, blah, blah. I flew down to San Diego. You already know the same thing happened, right? Like we thought we're on cloud nine, we're in California, we're riding this wave, it's crazy. We go down there.

Dom Okus (26:56)
Hmm

Matt Bentley (26:58)
month.

Jamil Roberts (27:03)
Same thing, Gaffer won't mind now, we won him the lot. we did the same thing, half the team was out drinking whatever, just having a good time the night before the game. We went and beat San Diego State 4-0 the next day. And then obviously went out and blah blah blah. But to tie it all together after that... ⁓

Dom Okus (27:08)
Yeah.

Jamil Roberts (27:30)
not the example story for any young players listening, but San Diego, what a place. Like my favorite away trip, not for all the things that I've just listed, right? Like the wins and the good times and the memories and whatever, just genuinely like my favorite away trip for like what we did after the game and like how easy it was just to be around the place, the energy of it. I loved it.

Dom Okus (27:38)
I can imagine.

Yeah, my California's sick.

Matt Bentley (27:55)
Now it's mad how in

football, it's mad how in football you can do things like that and get the result though, isn't it? It's actually insane. When it comes out later, it's all fun and games, but if that goes the other way, oh my God. When you started that story, I thought you were going to say 20 seconds in, you're hamming your ping. I was like, oh my God.

Jamil Roberts (28:01)
Yeah. Yeah.

And the thing

is, yeah, mate, the...

Oh, no, no, no, no, it was ridiculous. I've given it that one that mate I ended up I ended up coming away from that trip with like four nights out and like three goals and five assists That's that's unbelievable ten days for four nights out five goals

Matt Bentley (28:21)
Yeah.

That's not a bad stats. That's not bad stats.

Dom Okus (28:29)
Bro!

Mate, you need to fucking do that before every game. Fuckin' hell. Nah, that's class. But like, one more question I've got in that terms, then we'll get back to Matt, is did you do any schoolwork? Like you're 10 days away from school in the middle of the season. Now what the hell?

Matt Bentley (28:35)
Yeah, Ruto. Ruto.

Jamil Roberts (28:42)
Mm.

Matt Bentley (28:44)
Road talk.

You can tell we worked for Meta by the way.

Dom Okus (28:51)
Not even that but it's just like 10 days, how is the gaffer swung 10 days away from school? Like that's mad.

Jamil Roberts (28:53)
Yeah.

Matt Bentley (28:55)
Nah, nah, it's mad. It's mad. Nah, it's mad.

Jamil Roberts (29:00)
Mate, at the end of the day, like, environment of martial soccer at martial university is very lenient because of the results that we get compared to the other programs. So there are a little bit, there's a lot of leeway given to the players. That's all I'm gonna say.

Dom Okus (29:17)
Right.

but we'll leave it at that. Yeah, we'll leave it at that. We'll leave

Matt Bentley (29:24)
Yeah, were you a comm major

Dom Okus (29:27)
it at that.

Matt Bentley (29:27)
as well? you communications major?

Jamil Roberts (29:29)
Well, I was undecided. was sports management and ended up with health science. Yeah.

Matt Bentley (29:36)
Okay, fair enough.

Dom Okus (29:38)
Yeah, but yeah, so Matt, so back to where were we? Richmond. We were the summer at Lions Bridge. You did really well. And so that gave you the opportunity to go on a few trials. Richmond Kickers were interested but wanted to sign you for the following season. Is that what happened? Did you just end up waiting until the following season to sign with Richmond?

Jamil Roberts (29:46)
Lion's Bridge.

Matt Bentley (29:47)
Lines Bridge.

Mm hmm. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jamil Roberts (29:56)
you

Matt Bentley (29:58)
Yeah, so literally

after that San Diego thing, I went to go stay with my boy in New York, Josh. And then my OPT was running out anyway. So I had to go back to England. So I went back and I actually messaged the Dover gaffer. I was like, I'm coming back. Is there any chance I could come in and just train kind of thing? And he was like, yeah. So I went in there and I signed a non-contract for Dover. So I played for them in the national league for like seven or eight games. And then literally, yeah.

Jamil Roberts (30:26)
Before you go on, Matt, just

for the American listeners, just explain what a non-contract is in non-league in England. Because I think it's a concept that they probably have never heard of.

Matt Bentley (30:34)
so like

Yeah,

so that a contract kind of guarantees that you're going to be paid kind of thing. A non contract essentially means that you'll be like, it's a gentleman's agreement that you're going to be paid by a club kind of thing. They're like, you're signed for the club. But in theory, if the coach turned around and said, now, that I'm not paying you this week, you don't really have much to, to stand on the kind of thing. And it just keeps that players with clubs, the higher up you go, though, more teams try and get you on a contract. it

protects them in the sense that if teams are interested, they can then sell you for money. But it and it protects you because you're guaranteed your money, but a non contract means that you can easily move between teams as well. So it is it there's a swings and roundabouts to both of it kind of thing. Do feel that that's probably a good description of it now?

Jamil Roberts (31:20)
Yeah,

yeah, I'd say there's a risk attached on both sides.

Dom Okus (31:22)
Yeah.

Matt Bentley (31:24)
Yeah, yeah, of course. Yeah,

yeah, for sure. So I signed a non contract for them. And then, like, it got to the end, like, I started at this, I was playing at the start and then towards the end, I wasn't really playing. literally, like, I was thinking of, like, kind of leaving and going somewhere else. And then the Richmond gaffer Darren messaged me was that you still want to come back to Richmond? I was like, yeah. And then like, it was perfect. I literally they sent the contract. And I went to go speak to ⁓ the Dover manager and it worked out like perfect.

Jamil Roberts (31:28)
But anyway, yeah.

Matt Bentley (31:53)
So then for a month I played for Leatherhead ⁓ because my contract for Richmond didn't start until January. So I just like, I'm not gonna lie, I just paid for whatever team was gonna offer me the most money and Leatherhead offered me the most money. So I played for them for a month, had a good little record. And then yeah, was off to Richmond in 2022.

Dom Okus (32:13)
Let's talk about that. I know it was a big moment for us all, super supportive of you, all the boys in the group chat and that was obviously thrilled for you. But how was it for you finally, you know, getting your first professional contract after going to Minnesota, going to San Diego, coming back to the UK, you're in the Amazon warehouse, the time in your breaks, all of this stuff, all these charging tribulations, I'm giving you banner about your hairline, all of the things are going on.

Matt Bentley (32:16)
Mm-mm.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah. Ballast Mike.

Jamil Roberts (32:34)
Yeah

Matt Bentley (32:41)
Why

do you have to that in there though? Why do you have to throw that one in there? Hey bro, by the way, you've walked back PTSD with the timing of the breaks, know? Oh my god, were so on it in terms of the breaks. Oh bro, it's mad.

Jamil Roberts (32:42)
Woohoo!

Dom Okus (32:47)
Yeah, it's crazy. It's crazy, bro. But obviously,

you finally, you held in there, you kept going, and you signed your first professional contract. So talk to us about that, you know, obviously, how proud you were, how you felt at the moment, all that stuff.

Jamil Roberts (32:55)
HAAA!

Matt Bentley (32:57)
Mm-mm.

Yeah.

I mean, when it actually came through, I was gassed. But I don't know about you, James, when you signed your first. It's kind of like underwhelming. Let me get to it. Because I signed it through WhatsApp. It's not as if anything comes to you. It's not like when you're younger, when you sign for an academy, you go in and there's the contract there and it's all that sick process, you kind of thing. So I didn't really have that. So in that sense, was underwhelming. But like...

to finally be able to call myself a pro, a full-time footballer is something that I've wanted to do. I feel that I've worked hard and even people might look at it go, yeah, it was USL one, but I feel like to become a professional at any sort of level is something which takes a lot of dedication. And I feel like that's more what I was proud of. Like there's loads of people that can go and say, yeah, I could have done this. I could have done that. Well, you couldn't have because you didn't. Do know what I mean? And yeah, like you can be that guy in the pub that I did this, I did that. ⁓ nah.

Jamil Roberts (33:53)
Yeah, because you didn't exactly.

Hmm

Matt Bentley (33:58)
I

actually went out and I like, ⁓ listen, it was a journey to get there and I felt very, I was proud of myself. That's probably the one time where I've been like, yeah, I've done well here kind of thing. And my mum and dad were gassed as well kind of thing. And yeah, it was just really good. And also seeing how happy all my friends were for me as well, that was really good as well because I'm sure some of them were thinking maybe it's time to pack it in, to be honest.

whether they'd said that personally to me, which some of them probably did, or if they were thinking it themselves. now they were buzzing for me then and they're buzzing for me now. So yeah, that was a really, really proud moment for me and my family, I would say, yeah.

Dom Okus (34:40)
Yeah, I want to talk just quickly about the, I could have done it. I should have been playing in the prim, but I've hurt my knee. No, nah, nah. You know what it is, bro? I'm one of those, I'm one of those people, not one of those people that said they could have made it, but I was good at football, but I wouldn't say I was good enough or even had the drive enough to like be as committed and dedicated and hang in there like you was. And I think like I'm better than most people at football. Yeah.

Matt Bentley (34:44)
Yeah, is this where you told me about your knee injury or something dumb like this?

Mm-mm. Mm.

Dom Okus (35:09)
But I'm nowhere, I didn't even think I was good enough to play pro. So like some of these people who are like, got this massive belly and are like, yeah, I play for my school football team and I could play pro. Like they might talk stuff about the USL, but like they maybe last 15 minutes in a match in the USL. Do you know what mean?

Matt Bentley (35:12)
Mm.

Mm.

bro it's mad, it's mad and it's so cheeky

as well because I've had people that kind of say that to me and then later on they're like asking me about how to come out to the USO. So it's just that funny how like things go around. Like I couldn't tell you the amount of messages I've had about from people asking about things. It just makes me laugh a little bit.

Jamil Roberts (35:36)
May.

Mate, do you know what, for me, yeah, and I've always thought this and like, to be honest, I've never really voiced it because like, I just think like, you know, I'll let people talk, like that's their business. If they want to talk about my business, whatever. But I think it's so disrespectful and like, to put it like as real as it comes and Matt, like you've played like the same level as what like I'm doing right now, like in the UK as well. Like.

Matt Bentley (35:52)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-mm.

Mm-mm.

Jamil Roberts (36:10)
When we come back to England, they think that we're just these newborn babies that have just come out of an egg. And they're like, well, we don't know if you can kick a ball. And I'm like, put 75 % of your squad in USL1 and they won't last five minutes.

Matt Bentley (36:15)
Yeah, Bob is mad.

Dom Okus (36:16)
Thanks.

Matt Bentley (36:24)
But it's

mad, I think it's so true as well.

Dom Okus (36:25)
you

Jamil Roberts (36:26)
But they think

that we like, just because you've played in the USL or whatever, that you're just like this unknown entity and you've never had a struggle or to get to where you deserve to be and it's not a respectable standard of football. I've never been able to wrap my head around it. And then the other side of it is people like me and you, we understand how good those people are above us as well.

Matt Bentley (36:34)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah, yeah.

Jamil Roberts (36:50)
Right? Like I could quite confidently stand here now and say that I could probably could never have played in the Prem and those guys like are just ridiculously talented for the most part. I could have maybe worked harder along the way and I could have made it, you know, like maybe a few divisions higher, maybe like league one or pushed for champ. I don't know. Right. But it's the people that like

that didn't make it and then they'll talk down on USL one and they'll be like, he's only playing like what? Like this division in America. Like it's some throw away shitty waste of time. And I'm like, put my boots on then and let's see how you get on. For five minutes in a Rondo, let alone on a match day.

Matt Bentley (37:17)
Mm-mm.

Mm-mm.

Dom Okus (37:31)
Yeah. ⁓

Matt Bentley (37:33)
Yeah. Well,

and also that to break it down even more, as an international, let's say what there's 14 teams in, in, league one, there's seven international spots per team. Let's say on a, on a year, most internationals are in a minimum of a one plus one or a two year contract. So let's say that every year, half the internationals are going to be retained. So what's that seven times 14 is what 98 let's say quick, maths 98. Yeah. So like

Jamil Roberts (37:51)
Mm-hmm

Dom Okus (38:00)
Good mess.

Jamil Roberts (38:03)
Yeah.

Matt Bentley (38:03)
What's half of

98 then? 49. So they say there's 49 spots now that you're competing for and you're not just competing with other English players. Yeah, you're competing... Why are you laughing?

Dom Okus (38:14)
Because of the maths! Jams is impressed!

Matt Bentley (38:18)
Oh, sir. No, no, no.

So let's say that you're competing, you're competing with 49 other people and you're not just competing with UK boys, you're competing with European, you're competing with South American, you're competing with African, you're competing with all these different players for 49 spots essentially, which makes it even harder. So I just feel, yeah, I feel that is definitely a little bit disrespected and as I got older, I don't really care about as much in it people.

Jamil Roberts (38:23)
Sorry, sorry.

Matt Bentley (38:47)
think what they think it's that water for ducks back to me but when I was younger I was kind of like like I remember that when I sang a pro like if you are it's that R, GSL1 is that R. Do know what mean? It's just easier to let it go.

Jamil Roberts (38:59)
Cool.

Cool.

Dom Okus (39:00)
But like, irrespective of the level, right, I don't think

anyone can say, and I'll talk about you both because I know you both, can say you're not good football players. Regardless of if you're playing in the Ram and Prem, or you're playing in the USL, or you're playing in League 2 or whatever, we know that there's very fine margins in football, which people who aren't involved in football won't know, right? We see players go from, oh, what's his name, the player that's like Wickham, Matt, what's his name, the striker.

Matt Bentley (39:06)
Hmm. Hmm.

Yeah, for sure. ⁓

⁓

Kone. Yeah, bro.

Dom Okus (39:27)
Yeah, Richard Coney's playing Essex.

Jamil Roberts (39:27)
Mmm.

Dom Okus (39:29)
He's

playing Essex senior, which is like step six or something or five and he's going to Wickham and he's bad in not the league. So, yeah.

Jamil Roberts (39:30)
Yeah. Crazy story.

Matt Bentley (39:32)
But it's mad.

it's mad. It's mad. Even that college level,

Jamil Roberts (39:36)
Yeah, it's ridiculous. His story is ridiculous.

Matt Bentley (39:40)
even if you go to the college level, Jack Harrison is playing in the front. My boy, he's a cool player. My boy, Kyle Hebert, Missouri state captain, is a Canadian international. That Stu Walken is a joke. Yes, Malaysian international, he's a joke of a player. Do you know what I mean? You've got to let people talk at the end of the day.

Dom Okus (39:45)
And he's cold, by the way. Cold.

Jamil Roberts (39:56)
Yeah, Malaysia.

Dom Okus (39:58)
No.

Jamil Roberts (40:02)
Man, do you know what's crazy, yeah?

Like, mate, me and Stu used to play against each other when we were kids, because he was at Southampton and I was at Portsmouth. And I used to think Stu was sick all the time, and then he got spat out, like under 16s, I didn't even make a scholar. Like...

Matt Bentley (40:07)
Really? yeah, of course. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Dom Okus (40:18)
Madness.

Matt Bentley (40:18)
Nah,

nah, he's cold, Steve's cold, man.

Dom Okus (40:22)
yeah so just bringing it back then to obviously Richmond and the contract so let's actually fast forward to your debut remember watching you paid against Tucson I believe you come off the

Matt Bentley (40:24)
Yeah, of course,

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah,

Jamil Roberts (40:34)
Is it home or away?

thank God for you.

Dom Okus (40:38)
Yeah.

Matt Bentley (40:38)
Yeah, yeah.

Dom Okus (40:42)
And I think you're on the bench, you've come off the bench and you've ended up scoring, which is obviously that, I'm mad, squeaked one in at the near post. So talk to us a little bit about that feeling, right? Not only to get a professional contract, but to go and in your first game get a goal as a striker.

Matt Bentley (40:43)
Yeah, Yeah, buzz in.

Yeah, slip the key for a tenner after.

Jamil Roberts (40:53)
Ha

Matt Bentley (41:01)
Yeah, I was gassed. can't lie. I said that word a couple of times. At this one, I was smiling ear to ear. So do know what's funny as well? When I was warming up, if you see my celebration after, was boys, like, Richmond had a supporter stand behind the goal, and these three boys were like, oh, if you come on and score, you've got to celebrate with us. And I was just like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever kind of thing. And then when Nils kicked the ball over and I was probably getting this going in, I was like, oh my God, the boys said I was going to score. So you can see my teammates are trying to celebrate with me. I've jumped over the thing.

Dom Okus (41:03)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Matt Bentley (41:31)
and I've gone to celebrate with them and they were all gassed about it as well. And then, yeah, it was just sick. It was as well as that. ⁓ Obviously I'd done pre-season and I played games, but when I came on, I was kind of like, wow, we were pretty much up at the time, but still it was quick. It was so quick. And obviously I'm used to it now, but the first time I was like, Jesus, wow, it's completely different to a pre-season game, even though we played against higher teams than Tucson. But now that feeling coming on, obviously you're a little bit nervous and stuff.

Jamil Roberts (41:34)
Yeah, that's sick.

Ahem.

Dom Okus (41:46)
Hmm.

Matt Bentley (42:00)
but now I was, now Dream Come True literally, honestly, I couldn't have written it better.

Dom Okus (42:07)
No, 666. So just reflect on like your entire time in Richmond, because I know obviously I come to visit, I put you in contact with a few people that are new in the city to look after you. out to Pam. So just reflect on your time overall at Richmond and highway.

Matt Bentley (42:11)
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, ⁓ Yeah, Time internal.

Yeah, nah, I think, well, I've still got some of my Richmond experience with me because I'm living with my missus now. He's just come through the door. So, yeah, there's some good parts. Little bit of Bradley for it, so if they're saying that, could see she's smiling in the back. Yeah, no one's ⁓ But, I feel like it was very homely, if that makes sense. So because of you introducing me to those people, they were like, honestly, like a second family. Like I would go around there for family dinner.

Dom Okus (42:30)
There we go.

Jamil Roberts (42:34)
Yeah. ⁓

Dom Okus (42:44)
Yeah.

Yep.

Matt Bentley (42:51)
They would have asked me and like Richmond, team, firstly that team was very, very good. Like just to clarify that first year we were, yeah, like the fact we actually got knocked out by Chattanooga in the playoffs, which was ridiculous by the way. Like just so dumb. Like, you know, in games you lose, it's just so dumb. they had 10 men for like 70 minutes and like, we just couldn't score. Like we should have had a 10. I missed like a dumb chance. And this, this chief you fucker benefited from it. Cause obviously he scored the winner. I see him dancing about, I just bad dumb in it.

Jamil Roberts (42:55)
Mate, that team was a joke.

Dom Okus (43:04)
I'm

Matt Bentley (43:21)
But I'm not bitter about it by the way, in case you didn't know. But now that first year, that first year was just sick, obviously. It was cool also just experiencing other cities, as a pro, going there the day before, flying to a lot of places, the hotel, all of that experience was just cool. And the fact that the team got along really well just made it, again, it felt like a family environment. I know it sounds like cliche, but it genuinely was so close. And I partly think that's why our second year

Dom Okus (43:25)
Hey, I'm

Matt Bentley (43:51)
We fell off a cliff, literally, because some people left and the people who came in weren't, not that they were bad players, so it's not anything like that. It was a completely different environment, I would say. And I can come out and say as well, I didn't perform at the level I did in my first year as well, which didn't help. And yeah, it was a tale of two halves really. I really enjoyed the first year and then towards the second year, I wasn't really enjoying it as much, to be fair, I would say.

Dom Okus (44:19)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, that makes sense. you know, ultimately you ended up departing. But talk to us a little bit about that time, because obviously I know, because we are in close conversation, but for the listeners, I think it was a shock to a lot of people that you ended up moving back to the UK. So just talk us through that time of like, you know, maybe trying to find another team and why you ultimately decided to move back to the UK.

Matt Bentley (44:24)
Mm-hmm.

⁓ man.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, I would say that chose is probably the wrong word. Why I was forced to to be quite honest, because for those who don't know, when you sign out here, get like a P one visa, which usually lasts for two years. So the team, so when you sign with a team, it's usually like a two year contract, a one plus one or two, whatever the makeup is anyway. So my, my visa was expiring anyway, and my contract was up with the kickers and we mutually knew it was I kind of knew throughout going into my meeting anyway, like I was I wasn't

even if they'd offered, I wouldn't have stayed. And I've maintained that to be fair. I've ⁓ said that to people before and I'll say that. Whether they think they didn't offer and I would have said yes or whatever, was like a mutual agreement kind of thing. But at the time, I was so confident I was gonna get another club. Like the way I was speaking with my former agent, it was like, yeah, don't worry about it. We kind of had a plan in place. So I actually wasn't too worried, to be honest. I wasn't too worried at all.

Jamil Roberts (45:36)
you

Matt Bentley (45:40)
So that I was kind of chilling. went on a holiday to Malaysia to see Stu actually. So I was out there chilling, like not really thinking anything of it until like we got to midway through December. And this is where like panic was starting to kick in because you know what, the worst part, so like let's say my exit meeting was like in October. Yeah. I spoke to my agent, my former agent, I've got stress, in the start of November. I didn't speak to him again. Yeah. Until like the end of December.

Jamil Roberts (45:52)
always mate.

Matt Bentley (46:09)
And he just would like I would message him. He just wouldn't respond. It was my one of them yet. If I showed you this screenshot of the messages, you think I was a stalker. It's nuts. But it's not. He just went like, ⁓ me. And it was like it was it got to the point where I then messaged someone else, another agent who'd been asking for me throughout the season. And why I was later so frustrated with my agents because I had a conversation with him before saying like, if you don't have the time because he was a bigger agent. I was like, if you don't have the time for me, that's absolutely fine.

But just let me let me know so I can speak to someone else and I kind of and he was like, no, don't worry like this that any other. So I was like, cool. And I like told those other agents that I'm not interested. And then obviously, I was in this predicament. So I spoke to another guy. And kindly, to be fair to him, he reached out to a couple teams in the league. And ironically, he reached out to chat and chat. Well, a lot of teams are under the assumption that I was staying at Richmond. So then when I then spoke to well, when he

Jamil Roberts (46:59)
you

Matt Bentley (47:04)
brought me back the feedback from Chattanooga at the time. was like, yeah, we'd love to have had him, but we've used our international spots we didn't know was available. So at that point, I knew I was going to be struggling, but I still kind of held out hope. And then we got to, we got to Feb and I had no carbon. I was like, yeah, like this, this is rough. I don't know what I'm going to do. And I was kind of like stubborn as well, because I didn't want to, I didn't want to play in England. So I wasn't, I wasn't really looking for anything in England at all.

Jamil Roberts (47:14)
Yeah.

Matt Bentley (47:32)
And then it got to a point where I was doing nothing. And I don't know if people know, but in the USL, the contracts are 10 months. So it's not like you're getting paid in this period as well. So luckily enough, I'd say I'm decent with money. So I'd saved up throughout the year for the off season. I'm not sure all players can relate to that. And obviously I was living at home in England. that saved, obviously, the bill of rent. So that helped me a lot. But then I was like, have to do something here. And that's when I did like... ⁓

a tweet saying I was leaving Richmond. And when I did that, a couple English people reached out to me and said, are you interested in playing in England? Blah, blah, blah. And that's how I ended up at Maidstone.

Dom Okus (48:10)
And so did the gaffer at Maidstone reach out to you or like someone, a system manager or something like that?

Matt Bentley (48:13)
No, no. So

like this guy on Twitter called Mike, it's called like Love Non-League or something like that. He was like a scout. He was a scout ⁓ at at Maidstone. And Maidstone, this is when they were going on their FA Cup run as well. And he was like, would you be interested in going into Maidstone? They're full time at this and the other. And initially I actually said no, because I was like, no, like I'm going back to America. I'm not, I'm not. And then I was like, actually, do know what? Like even...

At that point, I was like, even if I can just train somewhere, like that's full time, I would rather do that. So I went to Maidstone and I loved it. I loved it at Maidstone. Good environment, good changing room. Yeah, and I had a good time there.

Dom Okus (48:57)
sick, sick. So playing on the big George Ilocobi. He's a big, big, big personality and also a big. All right, fair enough. Fair enough. Fair enough. But yeah, he's a big personality, but also he's, you know, got a big frame, let's say. So yeah, so just like talk a bit about playing under him because I think, you know, folks who are in the non-league

Jamil Roberts (48:58)
you

Matt Bentley (49:00)
⁓ Pause, pause, yeah.

You think I'm gonna get you back? Yeah, yeah, hands up. Yeah, yeah, come on, you know me.

Yeah, yeah, he's a unit. Yeah.

Dom Okus (49:25)
You know, very much know who he is, very charismatic, engaged with the fans, all those things. So what's it like playing under him?

Matt Bentley (49:27)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You know what, yeah. You know, like, if you see his interviews on TV, he's kind of like, that is like how he is. He's very, like, very passionate for sure. Like, still thinks he can play as well. So joining in small-sided and that. But he loves the tackle as well. Proper serious, like, yeah, it's mad. But neither, I found him a good gaffer. I thought he was a good gaffer as well. Like, when I first went back as well, like, I was just gonna say, I've forgotten how to play in England.

Dom Okus (49:34)
Mm-hmm. Well.

You

Matt Bentley (49:59)
like in terms of like when the ball comes to flick it on. So I was like trying to bring it down and I was getting like, it's like now flick it on, flick it on. And then like, kind of had to adapt my game playing over there. But now I feel like he had a good time there and I feel like, yeah, he was a good guy for very like supportive, very, very honest as well, to be fair. Like if he went to go speak to him, I think he would tell you exactly what he thought as well, which I, which benefited me. That's like how I...

Jamil Roberts (50:00)
⁓ mate, you ain't dumb.

Matt Bentley (50:27)
I prefer my manager to be in Craig Fagum is there as well who used to play for for whole and he was he was good as well. I enjoyed working with both of them to be fair. So yeah, was it was just a good situation, positive environment and yeah, that the playoff run we had as well. So I had a good little squirrel run towards the end of the season and I thought we were just going to go all the way through and then and then we lost in the semifinals to a worth in. But no, it was it was good, especially that first little bit that that initial part of Maidstone. Yeah, not really good. Really, really good place.

Dom Okus (50:58)
Sick, sick. So how do you end up then coming back to the US, obviously back with Chattanooga? Because to be honest, mate, just outside, just like being your friend and seeing what's going on, things are going well at Maidstone. Like you're really starting to build your profile back in the UK. And so for you to like give that up to then move back to the US, just like talk us through that default process.

Matt Bentley (51:06)
Yeah.

Yeah, yeah they were, they were, they were.

Jamil Roberts (51:11)
Yeah, yeah.

Matt Bentley (51:18)
Yeah.

Yeah,

yeah, yeah, I kind of like always in my head had so when I first signed for Maidstone, I signed again, another non contract the first time. And that was with the idea that like if I another US club came in, I could go and whatever. And then at the end of that year, they offered me they told me they wanted me to stay and offered me a deal. And I was happy that you said, I had another part time job as well. I was working for a company called sports to inspire and we're doing like

Jamil Roberts (51:22)
Yeah.

Matt Bentley (51:48)
like after school clubs and stuff like that, which I found quite rewarding as well. Like I thought was sick. was like cool working with kids, making sure that they like play sport and that and like seeing how happy they were and that it was quite rewarding. can't lie. So that it was set. But then as like the season went on, ⁓ my now agent ⁓ told me that Chattanooga were interested and like the offer to come back out as well came with like a masters. ⁓

which is something that I thought was almost too good to turn up the idea to come back to America to play USL, but also to do my masters, which obviously, you know me, I like to think in the future and like to have a master's I feel will help me for life after football. ⁓ So I thought that the opportunity genuinely was just too good to turn down. spoke with, I used to car school with Kips, Harry Kipriano, absolute player by the way. And like we spoke about, and I was just like, I feel like this is what I want to do. And he was like, yes, a no brainer.

So then it was in November, I think they reached out to me, they reached out to my agent and offered me the deal. I was speaking to Jams a little bit before that as well about Chattanooga and like deciding. And the season for Maidstone by the way was going like a little bit like that. To be honest, that probably influenced it as well. Like I started the season and then I was out of the team for a little bit and I kind of like worked my way back in. But then when I went to go speak to the gaffer, he was that good about it. So that second year I'd actually signed a professional contract. I wasn't on a non-contract anymore.

So in order for me to leave, I'd have to cancel it. And I just knocked on the door and Craig was in there and I just sat down and said, look, like this offer's come in, it's coming from Masters to go back to America, play full time football and do that. I feel that's too good to turn down. And like, to be fair, the gaffer was like great about it. He was like, yeah, like you have to think about what's best for you, best for your family. And just don't tell the boys though. So like, bearing in mind, I told him, we actually had like our Christmas do in Barcelona. So I went in.

And it was all decided. So I flew to Barcelona the next day and we hit there. But Barcelona was a good trip still. Very good trip. Yeah. And I came back and I knew that I was leaving, but obviously I was playing until the end of December. And then the final game was Boxing Day and it was against Tom Bridge, who are our rivals, and started on the bench, came on and scored. So I was buzzing. Before the game, actually, pulled me and was like, when do you want me to tell the boys, do you want me to tell them before the game or after the game that you're going? I was like, no, I'll tell them after we win. He was like, oh, cool, good.

So came off the bench, scored, buzzing, like absolutely buzzing. I even did like a little plane celebration there, cause I knew I was going. Yeah, that's bare light skin, innit? But yeah, yeah, that's so light skin. ⁓ But no, was sick, it was sick. And then like, obviously we were in a huddle at the end and then like he told the boys, and the boys actually were buzzing for me. can't lie, the boys were buzzing. They were like, yo, like we knew you wanted to go back to America. ⁓

Dom Okus (54:17)
So mad, that's so mad. ⁓

Jamil Roberts (54:35)
Finally he's off the books,

man. Fucking hell.

Matt Bentley (54:36)
Yeah, fucking no, that's what the owner was thinking. That's what the owner was thinking. He

was thinking, fuck me, I can get this guy off the wages. But, nah, the boys were classed about it, honestly. They were proper good about it. then, that was it. That was my last game for them. I trained with them up until December as well. So came in last April with doughnuts and stuff like that. And yeah, nah, it worked out really well. And the offer to come to chat made sense. So yeah, that's why I wanted to come back.

Dom Okus (54:42)
BLEH HEH

Sick, sick, sick, And now we're here, man. We're here. The season started. You said at the beginning you're really settling in really well, which is amazing. Got some brownie points with the missus by mentioning that, you know, two are living together. But what's next? Like, do you have any personal goals for this season? You know, win the league, certain amount of personal goals, team of the season. You know, there's a bunch of things that you know, out there. Have you set any kind of goals?

Matt Bentley (55:08)
Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

Mm.

Yeah.

So yeah, I actually have like on my note, I have a notice board in my, in the bedroom and it had like my targets on there. think I've set like, I want 10 goals, five assists and a certain amount, like a team of the weeks and stuff like that. So, I'm not going to say the numbers in it because it's just a personal thing, but I'm, I'm towards the goals in terms of actual goals, need a few more assists. And then obviously I got a team of the week the other week. So it started well. Um, and like as a team, it's, I don't

Dom Okus (55:46)
Yeah.

Matt Bentley (55:56)
necessarily say we've got any like, obviously it's going to be done. Everyone wants to win the league, you know what mean? Everyone wants to win the playoffs, but I think the Chattanooga didn't have the best season last year for, for a multitude of reasons. And I feel like the club is at a crossroads where it can either go back to where it was or that plateau. And I feel like we want to be the group that takes it up kind of thing. So that would be like getting back into the playoffs. And we actually had a really big game in the open cup. played against Chattanooga FC.

So that was like a local derby and obviously in England everyone's gonna know what a local derby is but it's like where you play against your rivals So for our American listeners or your American listeners I should say and like honestly, it was at 12,000 fans 12.1 K fans are the biggest crowd I played in front of the atmosphere was that insane like it was so insane because the owners don't like each other as well So there's that backstory to it and they were doing a lot of social media stuff like tweeting about that Chattanooga is blue like all it will like

Jamil Roberts (56:52)
Ahem.

Matt Bentley (56:54)
And we didn't say anything, we just went to the stadium and...

Jamil Roberts (56:56)
Yeah. They do

the one, the team from East Ridge, don't they? Yeah.

Matt Bentley (57:00)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, team from Eastridge. So like even the mayor, but

imagine this, like the mayor's involved. But what are we doing here? The mayor's out here saying like, I'm going for the team, the team from actually from Chattanooga, even though we're in Chattanooga. So it's concerning that he doesn't know where Chattanooga is, but.

Jamil Roberts (57:08)
Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

The context for everyone not from Chattanooga or doesn't know anything about Tennessee is that East Ridge is about 15 minute drive from like the city center of Chattanooga. So I guess, I don't know, is it similar to you boys? Like when you talk about maybe, it London? Is it considered London? Like, could you kind of relate to it in that way?

Matt Bentley (57:25)
Yeah.

Yeah, kind of. feel like that's

a good, I feel like that's actually a very good comparison. Like, my name is Sader, live in Essex, Sader from London, I think that's a good comparison. I actually had one of them on a, playing against Greenville, this guy was from Croydon, he's that way from, said South Woodbury, he you're from Essex, I said, my postcode's E18, what's yours? And then, boy, he just muttered some numbers back to me. I was like, boy, that doesn't sound like London to me, but anyway. But yeah, so like, and then that game was just mad. It went to penalties and then we won on pens.

Dom Okus (57:36)
of kind of year.

Eek. Eeeh-hahahaha!

Matt Bentley (58:03)
And the celebrations after were mad. obviously, in America, would like, Jams, you can probably explain this as well, but the fans aren't as passionate as England. It's kind of like the games in the background kind of thing. The games in the background and people there as a social sport, but this one, the fans were on it. They were, there was abuse, it was everything. I actually really enjoyed it. So obviously, you know me, I've got blonde hair, I get a little bit, do you know what I'm saying? I get a little bit stick.

Dom Okus (58:25)
Like.

Meh.

Matt Bentley (58:32)
They were giving it, giving it. So when we've won it, I've run lap in front of their fans to celebrate. I've given it, given it. So I've got a boy on the other team who I actually run like an agency with outside of football. But he's come up to me, he's like, Bents, f*ck off back over there, celebrate with your fans. Bro, they're going mad. And then I've like carried on, I've gone round, bro, man, they're chucking bottles at me. I swear, chucking bottles and that is insane. And I wouldn't have expected that in America. And it was mad. And then we've gone over to our fans, bro. And then one of our players has bought a flag and tried to...

like a big thing in America was that stabbing the flags in it. bro he's tried to put the flag in it, but it was mad. Everything was going off. Yeah, was good. it went mad as well on social media as well. And I feel like it helped improve the Open Cup because the Open Cup's kind of been diminished in America where the MLS teams don't want to play in it. And I feel like the fact that the Derbies are created and stuff like that, it kind of brought...

Dom Okus (59:03)
Yeah, that'd be the flag, yeah.

That's good.

Jamil Roberts (59:10)
Yeah,

Matt Bentley (59:25)
why it's so good, like lower league teams playing against like higher teams and why like there's a good rivalry and stuff like that. And I feel like it helped our team as well because like we feel like our teams like looked down upon a little bit. I feel like the league, like we're not really rated by a lot of people, which is absolutely fine. And like going into that game probably, we were the underdogs and we went there and like done our thing. And I feel like that was a good moment for our team, like going forward as well. It was a big stepping stone. So like it was, yeah, it's like had a snowball effect for us, which had been good.

Jamil Roberts (59:55)
Yeah, one thing that I will add on to that as well is ⁓ Chattanooga in general has a very... Not many cities in America have like a... I don't want to say a history as much as to that, but they don't have like a culture for soccer at all. Whereas I think Chattanooga is, I mean, I'm trying to think off the top of my head, but like maybe New York, LA.

Matt Bentley (1:00:08)
Mm.

Yeah.

Mm. Mm.

Jamil Roberts (1:00:22)
I mean, how many cities have two professional soccer teams in them in America?

Matt Bentley (1:00:25)
Yeah, that's true. It's

true. It's very true, especially within the vicinity. Yeah.

Jamil Roberts (1:00:29)
So, so like, and it's

so like to what you're saying there, like I can very much attest to it that like the rivalry run, it runs deep. Like this has gone back, you know, years and years. This goes back to, you know, CFC wanted to come into the USL and Bob.

Matt Bentley (1:00:43)
Mm-hmm.

Jamil Roberts (1:00:45)
Martino, the owner of the Rebels, bought the rights out and then CFC are very bitter about that and you know, the fans have a bit of back and forth but like overall, like it's very good that I think that light was shone on the city for like what the culture actually is which like it is a very very soccer promoted city in general which is good, it's a good place to play football and it's a good place to live so.

Matt Bentley (1:00:49)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Yeah,

like regardless of the outcome, think that Chattanooga would have been the winner. Like I know that sounds again, so cheesy, but genuinely like if you saw how like how the community came out, was, it was like, nah, it wasn't it. But like put it this way, put it this way, like, nah, nah, nah, but like put it this way for context that we were going to restaurants and that people would be talking about the game and that people like not that they knew I played for either team, but the game was just a topic in the.

Dom Okus (1:01:07)
Good show.

Jamil Roberts (1:01:15)
He's done the old Jimmy pull out there, innit?

Dom Okus (1:01:18)
Football always wins!

Yeah.

Matt Bentley (1:01:33)
what was going on. It was the go-to thing for that week. So, no, it was good. was good. It was good.

Dom Okus (1:01:38)
sick.

Sick, sick, sick, sick. So just before we wrap up, I know you're a fan of the show and so I hope you've prepared your answers because we are about to go into Extra Time. Extra Time is our standing segment, fan favourite. I know I've been doing a lot of the hosting today but I'm gonna get into my different persona. On the social media they've been calling me Steve Harvey with the skin fade. Ain't got a fade right now.

Matt Bentley (1:01:44)
Hmm.

Thank

Okay.

Dom Okus (1:02:10)
But they've been calling me Harvey with a skin fade. Yeah, just a dark-skinned Steve Harvey at the moment. You look more like Harvey Price than me. If you want to go there, we can go there. But we've got four questions for you,

Jamil Roberts (1:02:12)
Just Steve Harvey.

Matt Bentley (1:02:16)
Harvey Price at the moment.

Sallāyā.

Nah, I it, I hear it.

Jamil Roberts (1:02:26)
⁓ my god. Box jumps, box jumps, box jumps.

Matt Bentley (1:02:31)
Yeah,

real talk, real talk. I actually did box jump today. How much did you do, 42? I was doing 30. 48. I can't lie, 48's high still. 48's high. But to be fair though, if I ran a marathon before I had to jump up, I reckon I could get to 48 too.

Dom Okus (1:02:35)
We've got... 48, 48, 48.

Come on man. I still got a bit. still got a bit.

Jamil Roberts (1:02:46)
you

Dom Okus (1:02:49)
A marathon. Yeah, you man are tough. Anyways, let me get into these questions. The first question is, who is the best player you've played with?

Jamil Roberts (1:02:52)
⁓ my god.

Matt Bentley (1:02:58)
with? Good question.

Hmm, probably in the USL. I would probably say that Niel Winyalsz. I think that he's a joke of a player, like absolute joke. Like the way that juggles with the ball and that's mad. Like how he gets out of situations. It's just, yeah, that's mad. Especially in that second year at Richmond, when the team was doing poor, like he put the team on his back. That was final, like 10 games. Yeah, he went on a mad run, like a mad run. was, yeah, he's top player, top player that spoke hand now.

Jamil Roberts (1:03:11)
layer

Matt Bentley (1:03:35)
Nice, good play, man.

Dom Okus (1:03:36)
Yeah, I'm sure he's a baller, but you don't have to just say Big U.S.O. by the way, that's one of the kevin that you can say college, you can say anywhere.

Matt Bentley (1:03:41)
No, no, no, but I'm just thinking about like, oh, if I'm

going to college, like, well, I'd probably go college. I would probably again go back to either Stu Wilkin, again, joke of a player or, do know, I'm gonna go Kyle Heber because I think Kyle is honestly, I was saying this actually today, that he's the best college defender I've ever played against. Like I'm with, like, well, the man was a freak.

Dom Okus (1:03:57)
Okay.

Matt Bentley (1:04:09)
He was at 5'10 I think and he had the leap of like a bunny, left foot, right foot, built like an ox, he's mad. I think I said earlier, he's Canadian international as well. Nye is a top player, St. Louis Nye, good guy as well, proper good guy. All of that combined, He's probably the best player then, him and Stu. Honourable mention, Stu.

Dom Okus (1:04:32)
sick, sick, sick, sick. Okay, who's the best player you've played against?

Matt Bentley (1:04:36)
⁓ Oberton. Oberton, yeah. This guy is a freak. Like, if he shift and shot it and you were in front of that ball, it's over, fam. if hit you in the belly, fam, if that hit you in the head, you're waking up, like, next week. too powerful, man. Too powerful for no reason as well. Mate. It's mad. He was, he was, he was very, very good, actually. He yeah, probably him. Like, you could tell he played at a higher level as well.

Dom Okus (1:04:40)
Yeah.

Jamil Roberts (1:04:41)
Yeah.

Yep. Mm-hmm.

Dom Okus (1:04:46)
Ha ha ha!

Yeah, Jams are the same thing.

Jamil Roberts (1:04:51)
May built like a coat hanger as well.

Dom Okus (1:05:05)
Yeah.

Jamil Roberts (1:05:07)
Yeah, mate, you

Matt Bentley (1:05:07)
That makes sense.

Dom Okus (1:05:07)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jamil Roberts (1:05:08)
know, we've had Clay Dimmick on the pod before and I've obviously spoke to a few of the Charlotte boys in the past and whatever, but he's one of them that like, when he decides to, it's just gonna happen. But when he can't be asked, it's like, I'll wait till later. And then I'll just do it now.

Matt Bentley (1:05:22)
Yeah.

Nah, it was mad, like, bro, he

was just in a random game, like, 40 yards out, pardon me, shift and shoot, and the ball was just, like, zinging. And you're like, bro, like, what? You know in basketball, you see, like, LeBron jazz to the paint, he's like, why don't they do this every time, you know, but they just can't be bothered. But he's above. He's above as well, he's bare above.

Jamil Roberts (1:05:36)
Yeah.

Dom Okus (1:05:39)
Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, he's a buller to be fair. He's a buller. Right. The question that stumps everyone. So let's see where we're gonna go with this. If you could pick three teammates, past or present, to go on a night out with, who would they be and why?

Matt Bentley (1:05:46)
Nah, he's good. Yeah, that's him.

Yeah.

Yeah. Does

Jamil Roberts (1:05:58)
you

Matt Bentley (1:06:01)
this have to be professional teammates or across everything?

Dom Okus (1:06:04)
Any teammates, youth team, five aside, any, any, any teammates.

Jamil Roberts (1:06:04)
All time.

Matt Bentley (1:06:07)
College, I'm

picking from Richmond, Chandler Adair. Like proper good, yeah man. Had some good nights out in Richmond with him. Top guy as well, good band. Yeah, I've got to him. I've got to yourself in there Dom, from the college days. I know you're catting for that, you're waiting for that. Yeah, it's a lie. No, no, no, it's a lie still. can't lie. No, Dom.

Dom Okus (1:06:29)
It's got to be. If you don't put me in, it's a lie. You don't put

Jamil Roberts (1:06:30)
It's the first time of ever.

Dom Okus (1:06:35)
me in, it's a lie.

Matt Bentley (1:06:36)
And then going

along with that as well, I've got to go with Juwan as well. Juwan, so we all went to West Virginia Wesleyan, who I'm actually repping today. And yeah, we had some really good times in college as well. then ⁓ Chandler in the program, yeah, that was good. was my roommate as well, my second year. So yeah, that was really good.

Jamil Roberts (1:06:36)
Sympathy vote.

Dom Okus (1:06:45)
I love it.

No, it's funny, if you didn't say Jawan, you know you're getting a message in the group chat.

Matt Bentley (1:06:58)
boy, it's mad. It's mad. His

head would have been gone. But now that combo would have been mad. If you meet Chandler or if you... I think you met Chandler actually, but if you were out with Chandler, yeah, it's mad. It's mad.

Dom Okus (1:07:03)
Ahahaha!

Yeah,

sick, sick, sick. And last but not least, what's the biggest achievement on the pitch so far?

Matt Bentley (1:07:15)
Yeah, my biggest achievement is my parents watching me play professionally. I would say so that when they came out to Richmond to watch him play, it was like the best. It was the best feeling as well. I like it's actually a mad story as well. So that people will think is that fairy tale. So my parents actually came for two games. Yeah, the first game, but I didn't play. I was on the bench. I was on the bench. I have a horrible record for people coming to watch me play. think don't come to watch you play. I played five minutes. Like, you know, do you know what I mean? Yeah, I was, I was moving mad, but

Dom Okus (1:07:40)
Yeah, but we used to take it the piss.

Jamil Roberts (1:07:42)
Hmm.

Matt Bentley (1:07:44)
But they came for the first game and I didn't play. then my mum was upset a little bit, but I was kind of just like, hey, he's weird. And then the next game we played against Tormentor, I think I played the 90. And I played around, I shot and it hit the crossbar. It one of them that summed up my season, it? But the season before it goes in, it was like 25 yards. And the season where I wasn't doing as well, it hit the crossbar. But then being there and like that and like...

Dom Okus (1:08:03)
Yeah.

Matt Bentley (1:08:10)
Yeah, it was sick. then for that Christmas, gave the or the Christmas before as well. I gave them my debut shirt. And I was like, to my mom and dad, we made it and my mom and dad were like, my dad wasn't crying. But my mom was like, bare emotional. And that was that all of that related in is just that because it's as much their journey as it is mine. Because again, like, I even said, like, it's not like I'm playing Wembley or whatever it is, but it's like a product of what we will put in like they've driven me x, y, z.

Dom Okus (1:08:24)
Thank you.

Matt Bentley (1:08:40)
They supported me financially as well, that supported my journey to America and just to see that the fruits of their labor kind of thing. Yeah, now I'm even smiling now thinking about it.

Dom Okus (1:08:50)
Yeah bro, no he's sick and I think everyone says exactly what you're saying, right? Like, and we've had people who have won like, so Paco for example was on our last episode, right? And he's won the USL three times, twice, been team in the season, all this stuff and he's the exact same. And he's the exact same thing, when his dad came out to watch him play.

Jamil Roberts (1:08:53)
you

Matt Bentley (1:08:54)
⁓ it's mad.

Yeah

Yeah, two or three times.

Jamil Roberts (1:09:05)
defender of the year or what is.

Matt Bentley (1:09:08)
Boom. Yeah.

Now it's mad because you don't, I'm not even someone who gets homesick at all. I genuinely don't, but just in terms of when you just deep the journey you've been on, you deep where you're playing. I'm in Richmond, Virginia. If you'd asked me when I was 18, where's Richmond, Virginia? I wouldn't have been able to tell you. It's just like, it's so random, but it's so good as well. then, again, it's just like, it's a full circle moment kind of thing because

Dom Okus (1:09:30)
for sure.

Matt Bentley (1:09:37)
My parents obviously weren't able to watch me when I played in America. their social life had changed as well because my dad would have spent time going to my games on a Saturday, say, which is why he probably loved it when I was playing at Maidstone. But they loved going to my games and obviously then not being able to go and being able to go and all of that. No, it was good. And I've got to add, when I was warming up, I saw my mum come down and she had my shirt on. And it was a surprise. I didn't know she had the shirt. was like, yeah, I was smiling bears. Yeah, it was a good moment.

Dom Okus (1:09:43)
Yeah.

Jamil Roberts (1:10:06)
Hmm

Dom Okus (1:10:06)
Yeah man,

that's sick man. more needs to be said on this podcast, I think that's a beautiful way for us to wrap up. So Jam, I'll pass it to you since you love to close it out for us.

Matt Bentley (1:10:11)
Mm.

Yeah.

Jamil Roberts (1:10:19)
Yeah, no, I was lovely mate. was lovely. do you know what? uh, you might've for the people that are watching on YouTube, you might've caught me smiling. I was smiling for two reasons. Firstly, cause it's a lovely story. Like it really is. Um, and thank you for sharing that with us. But the other one is, um, you, said that you said in the middle of that, uh, you have a horrible record when people come to watch you and all this and that, blah, blah, blah. So my parents never came to watch me in college or professionally over in the States, but my boy Henry, he actually did, um, who

Matt Bentley (1:10:39)
Yeah.

Jamil Roberts (1:10:49)
By the way, he's expecting him and his missus, so congratulations to Henry. But he flew across last summer to watch me and we were actually playing against Knoxville, so the derby game.

Matt Bentley (1:10:53)
Congratulations Henry. Yeah, congratulations.

Dom Okus (1:10:55)
Say blessings to Henry if you're watching.

Matt Bentley (1:11:04)
Yeah.

I know what's coming. I know what's coming.

Jamil Roberts (1:11:07)
And that

was the game where, you know, if some of you remember back from the Jordan Skelton episode, so my boys flown all the way over the ocean to Tennessee, this and that. And yeah, I got sent off inside of 20 minutes.

Matt Bentley (1:11:20)
I knew

it was coming. I knew it was I would take me and send off for coming on for five though. can't lie, Dom was like, bro, you wasted my time. was like, yeah, do you know what, I hear it. Nah, nah, of course, of course. Nah, nah, nah. But like, that's something to touch on that as well, Jams, like when your boy is coming, watch you play it, like it's always like so good. Like I have a core friend group in Charlotte.

Dom Okus (1:11:28)
Nyeh-ha!

Jamil Roberts (1:11:28)
You

Dom Okus (1:11:33)
I was only joking, bro. Why are you gonna make it seem like I'm horrible? I was only joking.

Jamil Roberts (1:11:35)
Nah, nah, that cut him, that cut him.

I'm Ru.

Matt Bentley (1:11:47)
and they always come when I play in Charlotte or come to the game when I was in Charlotte and then they came to Richmond quite a few times as well to watch me play as well, which is sick. So whenever they were in town, it was just like, made you feel that 10,000 feet tall, that they've traveled all that way. for Americans as well, it's like six hours, they're driving six hours to come and watch you play. It's mad. Yeah, literally, it's insane.

Jamil Roberts (1:12:01)
Yeah.

Dom Okus (1:12:02)
Yeah, man.

Jamil Roberts (1:12:07)
Just 90 minutes of football. Yeah,

Dom Okus (1:12:08)
Yeah man. Crazy man.

Jamil Roberts (1:12:11)
yeah. But, nah, nah, it's right. I mean, like you said, Dom, I think it's a good place for us to wrap up. I'm...

Dom Okus (1:12:12)
Crazy.

Jamil Roberts (1:12:20)
I'm feeling good about this one. So, and I'm liking the change of pace as well. Obviously, you know, me and Matty are boys as well, but you know, you two go back a lot further, but I'm liking the change of pace, you know, with, you know, sometimes, you know, I get to sit back and kind of enjoy the conversation a little bit more and see it from a different perspective. It's nice. And, you know, you know, let us know in the listeners, you know, don't, you don't have to tell us who you prefer, but just, you know, just let us know, you know, if you're enjoying Dom.

Dom Okus (1:12:22)
Yeah, man.

Yeah. Yes.

See you

Jamil Roberts (1:12:48)
you know, hosting the majority of show at the moment and we'll make sure that I host the next one. ⁓ Anyway, but without further ado, Matty, it's been a long time coming, as we said at the beginning, but thanks ever so much for taking the time, mate. And, you know, he's been saying no for a while, but then they went to Vegas and got a big result. So then he said, let's get on the pod there.

Matt Bentley (1:12:54)
Yeah.

Dom Okus (1:12:54)
Yeah ⁓

You

Matt Bentley (1:13:10)
mate, I came back six balls

richer as well, know. I was doing every day and that, yeah, I six balls up.

Jamil Roberts (1:13:14)
yeah, mate,

Dom Okus (1:13:14)
Bye!

Jamil Roberts (1:13:16)
Dom, I replied to one of his stories. Him and Toby were walking through a casino coming back from training. I said, mate, you need to get the year's salary before you go back to Chattanooga.

Dom Okus (1:13:25)
Yeah ⁓

Matt Bentley (1:13:26)
Yeah, trust me, trust me. was slapping it on. I slapped on two bills

the day before the game and then after the game we won, Arsenal beat Madrid, slap Madrid actually. I was like, fuck it, let's put more on red, where it was coming in. I was gassed, six bills up. Yeah, Yeah, yeah, did do well.

Jamil Roberts (1:13:41)
a trip, what a trip.

Dom Okus (1:13:41)
in the mouth, the mouth.

Jamil Roberts (1:13:44)
Well, all things are pointing in the right direction and I wish you, Luke, and the rest of the boys and the club all the best for the rest of season. will hopefully see you in June. I'm out in Nashville for 10 days. I'm.

Matt Bentley (1:13:53)
Nice classroom you had us.

Jamil Roberts (1:14:03)
Chattanooga Academy are kind of a client of mine now, so I'm looking to make a trip down at least and obviously see the boys, see how you boys are getting on and hopefully see you climbing back up the league.

Matt Bentley (1:14:06)
Okay.

Like I said, there's a spare room here,

always welcome.

Jamil Roberts (1:14:19)
Appreciate you my boy, appreciate you

feel like we're getting more more wholesome, so I think it's time for us to wrap up. So if you've made it this far, as always, please drop a like, subscribe on everything, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, all of them. We love it, we appreciate the support and just keep showing love and we're gonna keep doing our best to bring you the best. But.

Dom Okus (1:14:28)
there.

That's it.

Jamil Roberts (1:14:51)
Again, Matty, thanks ever so much for coming on, mate. All the best from myself, from Dom, and from Matt. It's been a good one, and we'll see you next time.

Matt Bentley (1:14:53)
Nah, my pleasure,

Peace.

Dom Okus (1:15:02)
Peace.