Luke Matheson, who famously scored against Manchester United as a 16-year-old schoolboy for Rochdale in the Carabao Cup in 2019, is now aiming for another cup upset with Macclesfield. The defender, now 23, helped the Silkmen knock out Crystal Palace in the FA Cup last month and faces Brentford on Monday.
Matheson's goal at Old Trafford levelled the third-round tie, which United won on penalties. The next day, he sat a psychology exam. Reflecting on the moment, he told the BBC: 'I was on the bus on the way to school the next morning with my mates. Refreshing Instagram, there were a thousand likes here, another thousand there. It was one of the most surreal things I have ever been through.'
His heroics earned him a £1m move to Wolves in January 2020, but injuries plagued his time at Molineux and he never made a senior appearance. Released in 2023, he joined Bolton Wanderers but struggled for consistency, with loan spells at Bohemians and Alfreton Town before signing for Macclesfield in 2025.
Matheson came off the bench in the 2-1 win over Palace and said another victory against top-flight opposition 'would mean the world'. He added: 'You can feel the buzz around the town. Everyone has got the Macclesfield badge on. To give back to the fans of this town is the proudest thing you can do as a footballer.'
