Matty Jacob

Matty Jacob
Personal information
Full name Matthew James Jacob
Date of birth (2001-06-03) 3 June 2001 (age 25)
Place of birth Barnsley, England
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position Left-back
Team information
Current team
 Newport County (on loan from Hull City)
Number 16
Youth career
2009–2024 Hull City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019– Hull City 27 (1)
2019 → Pickering Town (loan) 12 (0)
2021–2022 → Gateshead (loan) 31 (0)
2025–2026 → Reading (loan) 14 (0)
2026– → Newport County (loan) 6 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18:41, 10 October 2026 (UTC)

Matthew James Jacob (born 3 June 2001) is an English professional footballer who plays as a left-back for EFL League Two club Newport County on loan from Premier League club Hull City.

Personal life

Jacob is grandson of former Hull City defender Geoff Barker.

Career

Jacob joined Hull City at Under-9s level. After progressing through the academy, he joined Pickering Town on loan in 2019, and was voted the club's Player of the Season. He then joined Gateshead on loan in August 2021.

In March 2023, he extended his contract with Hull, having first signed professionally in May 2019, and later captained the Hull U21 side on occasion. It was a new one-year deal, taking him until the end of the 2023–24 season. The contract also contained the option for a further year.

A left-back, He made his professional debut for Hull City on 1 January 2024, appearing as a second-half substitute for Liam Delap against Sheffield Wednesday in the EFL Championship. Shortly afterwards, on 6 January 2024, he made his first start for Hull City, and scored a late equalising goal against Birmingham City as they drew 1–1 in the FA Cup third round.

In February 2024, Jacob was named Hull City's Player of the Month for January. On 1 March 2024, Jacob signed a new three-year contract with Hull City.

On 24 January 2025, Jacob scored his first league goal, the second goal, in a 3–0 win at Sheffield United. On 4 July, Jacob joined EFL League One club Reading on a season-long loan move. On 2 January 2026, Reading confirmed that Jacob had returned to his parent club Hull City after his loan was ended early. On 1 September 2026 Jacob joined EFL League Two club Newport County on loan until January 2027. He made his Newport debut on 5 September 2026 in the 1-0 League Two defeat to Northampton Town.

Career statistics

As of 7 February 2026
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Hull City 2021–22 Championship 000000—00
2022–23 Championship 000000—00
2023–24 Championship 1401100—151
2024–25 Championship 810000—81
2025–26 Championship 501000—60
Total 271210000292
Gateshead (loan) 2021–22 National League North 31020—10340
Reading (loan) 2025–26 League One 140101000160
Career total 721511010792
  1. ↑ Appearance(s) in FA Trophy
  2. ↑ Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy

References

  1. ↑ "EFL – Squad List 2023/24: Hull City – In Squad Players" (PDF). English Football League. p. 14. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  2. ↑ "Matty Jacob Football Statistics". www.whoscored.com. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  3. ↑ "Matty Jacob". Soccerway. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  4. ↑ Samson, Louis (15 February 2022). "Former Hull and Grimsby Town footballer Geoff Barker has died". GI Media. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  5. ↑ "Matty Jacob". Hull City A.F.C. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  6. ↑ Kennedy, Emma (4 January 2024). "Hull City debut 'bittersweet' for ex-Pickering star Matty Jacob". Gazette Herald. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  7. ↑ "Matty Jacob signs". Gateshead-fc.com. 21 August 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  8. ↑ Worthington, Brett (14 October 2023). "The 6 Hull City players who are leaving on a free next summer". Football League World. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  9. ↑ Bennett, Charlie (8 March 2023). "Vice-chairman Tan Kesler reacts as Hull City tie down talented youngster to new contract". Hull Live. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  10. ↑ Mail, Harry (5 January 2024). "Hull City stance on signing Chelsea man outlined". The72. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  11. ↑ Cooper, Barry (1 January 2024). "Hull City player ratings vs Sheffield Wednesday as Tigers suffer Yorkshire derby defeat". Hull Live. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  12. ↑ Coates, Tom (6 January 2024). "Hull City ring changes for Birmingham City clash as Billy Sharp named on bench and Matty Jacob starts". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  13. ↑ Cooper, Barry (6 January 2024). "Hull City player ratings vs Birmingham City as Matty Jacob scores on dream debut". Hull Live. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  14. ↑ "Hull City 1–1 Birmingham City: Matty Jacob scores late to cancel out Lukas Jutkiewicz opener". BBC Sport. 6 January 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  15. ↑ "Jacob wins McVitie's Player of the Month for January". Hull City A.F.C. 8 February 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  16. ↑ "Jacob signs long-term contract". Hull City A.F.C. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  17. ↑ "Sheffield United 0–3 Hull City". BBC Sport. 24 January 2025. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  18. ↑ Speller, Glenn (4 July 2025). "Reading sign Hull defender Jacob on loan". BBC Sport. BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  19. ↑ "Matty Jacob Returns To Hull City". readingfc.co.uk. Reading F.C. 2 January 2026. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  20. ↑ Jacob Newport loan
  21. ↑ Jacob Newport debut
  22. ↑ "Games played by Matty Jacob in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  23. ↑ "Games played by Matty Jacob in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  24. ↑ "Games played by Matty Jacob in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  25. ↑ "Games played by Matty Jacob in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  26. 1 2 "Games played by Matty Jacob in 2025/2026". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  27. ↑ Matty Jacob at Soccerway