Prememento #111: Season 3 Episode 35 - Matt Holland

Excess is such a part of the Premier League, the two as a concept are all but fused together. Flamboyance on and off the pitch, along with an acceptance of narcissism that laughs in the face of loyalty. Yet there are those that defy the stereotype. Men who thrived in this world; with dependability, endurance and a conspicuous consistency. Fans will follow these qualities. As it turns out, so will those around them.

Matt Holland personified the kind of battling midfielder that so many of us want in the hearts of our respective midfield. His non existent career at West Ham – let’s avoid the Frank Lampard comparisons shall we – and the fight to get back into the Premier League was as resilient as his six years in it. Not only that, the two clubs that dominate his career were at decisive points in their history. Its a tale of Ipswich and Charlton reaching for the continent and how painful it can be when teams overstretch.