New name revealed for Matty Cash as Villa star confirms international switch

Matty Cash will be hoping to make his international debut for Poland next month having been granted Polish citizenship – and the move also sees the player being given a new name.

The 24-year-old Slough-born defender has been a big hit at Villa Park since a £16m switch from Nottingham Forest in summer 2020. Cash has 33 appearances for Dean Smith’s side and scored his first goal in a recent win over Everton.

That has seen calls come for him to earn international recognition. However, with England extremely well blessed in the right-back department, Cash has now switched allegiances to Poland.

Cash qualifies for the country through his mother, who is half-Polish. As such, Cash applied for a Polish passport in September 2021, while his application for citizenship this week approved at the Masovian Voivodeship government building in Warsaw.

That now grants Cash duel nationality and the player was last week pictured with officials at the Polish embassy in London last week at a “we play for Poland” meeting.

Now, following confirmation that he is eligible to be selected by Poland, Cash has been granted the new name of Mateusz Gotowka. It remains unclear whether that will see the player looking to change his name at Villa. However, while on duty for Poland, that is how Cash will now be known.

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Cash grateful for Poland chance

Speaking on Twitter, the Villa ace was clearly very honoured to make the switch.

“Thank you, Mr President. It is an honour and an extremely important moment for me and my family,” he wrote.

“I’ll do my best on the pitch.”

And he added: “This is a very important day for me and my family. My application for Polish citizenship has been approved by the Polish authorities.

“I would like to thank the president, my family and other people who helped me in this. Time for new challenges, I will do my best for this country.”

Cash will now hope to make his international debut for Poland in next month’s World Cup qualifiers. Paulo Sosa’s side face Andorra on November 12 and then Hungary three days later.

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