We all know somebody who’s just annoyingly good at everything, right? The old “I’ve never done it, but how hard can it be?” shtick, before absolutely destroying you at a game you’re halfway towards your 10,000 hours in? Well, it would seem as if Matty Cash is exactly that person.
Not content with being a Europa League-winning right-back, the Aston Villa man has been busy showing off his golf skills with former Premier League cult figure Jimmy Bullard on the latter’s YouTube channel. In fact, not content with just the one sporting pastime, he’s also cropped up putting cue to ball alongside snooker legend Stephen Hendry as well, even eliciting a “decent strike” from the seven-time world champion.
But get him talking about golf, and you know straight away that Cash is more than just a casual on the green. “Love golf. Love it. I’ve played since I was young. I used to live next to a golf course. Me and my brother used to go over after school,” he explains.
“I’ve always been quite naturally good at it, but in recent years for footballers it’s evolved a lot. I think a lot of players always think, ‘Oh, I’d love to be good at golf,’ or ‘Let’s go and play golf.’ Some are good, some are bad, and I’ve just always been lucky to be naturally quite good at it. I think my swing just comes naturally.”
It certainly looks as if it does. “I usually carry about 320” off the driver, he says, which to the uninitiated among us means the distance in yards he can hit the ball off the tee. We’re talking PGA tour standards here. And he likes to get a bit of practice in whenever he scores a goal. As Villa and Poland fans will know full well, almost every time Cash gets his name on the scoresheet, he makes his way to the corner flag before teeing off into the crowd.
“I played for Poland in a friendly and as soon as I scored, it just came to my head to go and hit a golf swing in the corner. I thought, ‘Oh, every time I score, I’m going to keep doing it.’ I carried on scoring, so I just kept on doing it. I didn’t think about it. I just did it in the moment.”
Naturally, it can be hard to find the time to indulge, what with Villa going all the way in the Europa League last term and now returning to the Champions League. Midweek fixtures mean more travelling, more recovery time and, crucially, less golf time.
“I don’t actually have enough time to play a lot of golf. If I can, I like going over to the range in the evenings to take a couple of hours to myself, but because we’re so busy with the schedule, it’s hard, and when I get time off, I just want to chill out. I don’t really want to go and hit balls because then I’m just tired.
“Being naturally quite good at swinging and hitting, I just sort of get on the course and am all right. So, if I played more, I probably would be a lot better.” Don’t be fooled by that false modesty, though. “I am a scratch golfer,” he adds. “Hopefully, I can get into the pluses in the next few years.”
Footballers playing golf is nothing new. England’s men’s team, for example, had an entire course at their Blankenhain base for EURO 2024 in Germany, while Harry Kane once described it as a way to switch off from the schedule and pressure of elite football. Several players took their clubs to the World Cup this year and the likes of Kane, Jordan Pickford and Elliot Anderson even played with PGA pro Brooks Koepka. As a result, he’s not exactly short of options when it comes to a friendly bit of competition, and yet Cash has very much got his eyes on bigger game.
“I’d [love to] have a round with Tiger Woods. Just because he’s the GOAT of golf.” It doesn’t stop there. “I’d like to have a game with Rory McIlroy. I know he’s a big football fan. I think he’s a Manchester United fan, and I’ve seen that he follows Villa on Instagram as well. So, hopefully he sort of finds out I’m good at golf. I know he’s probably busy, but I’d love to have a message from him!”
For now, though, the Villa star will have to make do with the legion of footballers who spend their time away from the pitch playing a round or two. He’s taken on Celtic’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison – who he claims almost got a hole in one on a par three – but after returning for a second round with Bullard in July, there’s clearly only one king of the course. “If you’re talking about ex-footballers and footballers, Bullard’s probably the best.”
While Cash may not have time to get out on the greens to close the gap to Bullard as he embarks on another hectic season, he’ll surely be hoping he’ll get to practise that famous swing a few times in front of the Villa fans again.
We all know somebody who’s just annoyingly good at everything, right? The old “I’ve never done it, but how hard can it be?” shtick, before absolutely destroying you at a game you’re halfway towards your 10,000 hours in? Well, it would seem as if Matty Cash is exactly that person.
Not content with being a Europa League-winning right-back, the Aston Villa man has been busy showing off his golf skills with former Premier League cult figure Jimmy Bullard on the latter’s YouTube channel. In fact, not content with just the one sporting pastime, he’s also cropped up putting cue to ball alongside snooker legend Stephen Hendry as well, even eliciting a “decent strike” from the seven-time world champion.
But get him talking about golf, and you know straight away that Cash is more than just a casual on the green. “Love golf. Love it. I’ve played since I was young. I used to live next to a golf course. Me and my brother used to go over after school,” he explains.
“I’ve always been quite naturally good at it, but in recent years for footballers it’s evolved a lot. I think a lot of players always think, ‘Oh, I’d love to be good at golf,’ or ‘Let’s go and play golf.’ Some are good, some are bad, and I’ve just always been lucky to be naturally quite good at it. I think my swing just comes naturally.”
It certainly looks as if it does. “I usually carry about 320” off the driver, he says, which to the uninitiated among us means the distance in yards he can hit the ball off the tee. We’re talking PGA tour standards here. And he likes to get a bit of practice in whenever he scores a goal. As Villa and Poland fans will know full well, almost every time Cash gets his name on the scoresheet, he makes his way to the corner flag before teeing off into the crowd.
“I played for Poland in a friendly and as soon as I scored, it just came to my head to go and hit a golf swing in the corner. I thought, ‘Oh, every time I score, I’m going to keep doing it.’ I carried on scoring, so I just kept on doing it. I didn’t think about it. I just did it in the moment.”
Naturally, it can be hard to find the time to indulge, what with Villa going all the way in the Europa League last term and now returning to the Champions League. Midweek fixtures mean more travelling, more recovery time and, crucially, less golf time.
“I don’t actually have enough time to play a lot of golf. If I can, I like going over to the range in the evenings to take a couple of hours to myself, but because we’re so busy with the schedule, it’s hard, and when I get time off, I just want to chill out. I don’t really want to go and hit balls because then I’m just tired.
“Being naturally quite good at swinging and hitting, I just sort of get on the course and am all right. So, if I played more, I probably would be a lot better.” Don’t be fooled by that false modesty, though. “I am a scratch golfer,” he adds. “Hopefully, I can get into the pluses in the next few years.”
Footballers playing golf is nothing new. England’s men’s team, for example, had an entire course at their Blankenhain base for EURO 2024 in Germany, while Harry Kane once described it as a way to switch off from the schedule and pressure of elite football. Several players took their clubs to the World Cup this year and the likes of Kane, Jordan Pickford and Elliot Anderson even played with PGA pro Brooks Koepka. As a result, he’s not exactly short of options when it comes to a friendly bit of competition, and yet Cash has very much got his eyes on bigger game.
“I’d [love to] have a round with Tiger Woods. Just because he’s the GOAT of golf.” It doesn’t stop there. “I’d like to have a game with Rory McIlroy. I know he’s a big football fan. I think he’s a Manchester United fan, and I’ve seen that he follows Villa on Instagram as well. So, hopefully he sort of finds out I’m good at golf. I know he’s probably busy, but I’d love to have a message from him!”
For now, though, the Villa star will have to make do with the legion of footballers who spend their time away from the pitch playing a round or two. He’s taken on Celtic’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison – who he claims almost got a hole in one on a par three – but after returning for a second round with Bullard in July, there’s clearly only one king of the course. “If you’re talking about ex-footballers and footballers, Bullard’s probably the best.”
While Cash may not have time to get out on the greens to close the gap to Bullard as he embarks on another hectic season, he’ll surely be hoping he’ll get to practise that famous swing a few times in front of the Villa fans again.
We all know somebody who’s just annoyingly good at everything, right? The old “I’ve never done it, but how hard can it be?” shtick, before absolutely destroying you at a game you’re halfway towards your 10,000 hours in? Well, it would seem as if Matty Cash is exactly that person.
Not content with being a Europa League-winning right-back, the Aston Villa man has been busy showing off his golf skills with former Premier League cult figure Jimmy Bullard on the latter’s YouTube channel. In fact, not content with just the one sporting pastime, he’s also cropped up putting cue to ball alongside snooker legend Stephen Hendry as well, even eliciting a “decent strike” from the seven-time world champion.
But get him talking about golf, and you know straight away that Cash is more than just a casual on the green. “Love golf. Love it. I’ve played since I was young. I used to live next to a golf course. Me and my brother used to go over after school,” he explains.
“I’ve always been quite naturally good at it, but in recent years for footballers it’s evolved a lot. I think a lot of players always think, ‘Oh, I’d love to be good at golf,’ or ‘Let’s go and play golf.’ Some are good, some are bad, and I’ve just always been lucky to be naturally quite good at it. I think my swing just comes naturally.”
It certainly looks as if it does. “I usually carry about 320” off the driver, he says, which to the uninitiated among us means the distance in yards he can hit the ball off the tee. We’re talking PGA tour standards here. And he likes to get a bit of practice in whenever he scores a goal. As Villa and Poland fans will know full well, almost every time Cash gets his name on the scoresheet, he makes his way to the corner flag before teeing off into the crowd.
“I played for Poland in a friendly and as soon as I scored, it just came to my head to go and hit a golf swing in the corner. I thought, ‘Oh, every time I score, I’m going to keep doing it.’ I carried on scoring, so I just kept on doing it. I didn’t think about it. I just did it in the moment.”
Naturally, it can be hard to find the time to indulge, what with Villa going all the way in the Europa League last term and now returning to the Champions League. Midweek fixtures mean more travelling, more recovery time and, crucially, less golf time.
“I don’t actually have enough time to play a lot of golf. If I can, I like going over to the range in the evenings to take a couple of hours to myself, but because we’re so busy with the schedule, it’s hard, and when I get time off, I just want to chill out. I don’t really want to go and hit balls because then I’m just tired.
“Being naturally quite good at swinging and hitting, I just sort of get on the course and am all right. So, if I played more, I probably would be a lot better.” Don’t be fooled by that false modesty, though. “I am a scratch golfer,” he adds. “Hopefully, I can get into the pluses in the next few years.”
Footballers playing golf is nothing new. England’s men’s team, for example, had an entire course at their Blankenhain base for EURO 2024 in Germany, while Harry Kane once described it as a way to switch off from the schedule and pressure of elite football. Several players took their clubs to the World Cup this year and the likes of Kane, Jordan Pickford and Elliot Anderson even played with PGA pro Brooks Koepka. As a result, he’s not exactly short of options when it comes to a friendly bit of competition, and yet Cash has very much got his eyes on bigger game.
“I’d [love to] have a round with Tiger Woods. Just because he’s the GOAT of golf.” It doesn’t stop there. “I’d like to have a game with Rory McIlroy. I know he’s a big football fan. I think he’s a Manchester United fan, and I’ve seen that he follows Villa on Instagram as well. So, hopefully he sort of finds out I’m good at golf. I know he’s probably busy, but I’d love to have a message from him!”
For now, though, the Villa star will have to make do with the legion of footballers who spend their time away from the pitch playing a round or two. He’s taken on Celtic’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison – who he claims almost got a hole in one on a par three – but after returning for a second round with Bullard in July, there’s clearly only one king of the course. “If you’re talking about ex-footballers and footballers, Bullard’s probably the best.”
While Cash may not have time to get out on the greens to close the gap to Bullard as he embarks on another hectic season, he’ll surely be hoping he’ll get to practise that famous swing a few times in front of the Villa fans again.
We all know somebody who’s just annoyingly good at everything, right? The old “I’ve never done it, but how hard can it be?” shtick, before absolutely destroying you at a game you’re halfway towards your 10,000 hours in? Well, it would seem as if Matty Cash is exactly that person.
Not content with being a Europa League-winning right-back, the Aston Villa man has been busy showing off his golf skills with former Premier League cult figure Jimmy Bullard on the latter’s YouTube channel. In fact, not content with just the one sporting pastime, he’s also cropped up putting cue to ball alongside snooker legend Stephen Hendry as well, even eliciting a “decent strike” from the seven-time world champion.
But get him talking about golf, and you know straight away that Cash is more than just a casual on the green. “Love golf. Love it. I’ve played since I was young. I used to live next to a golf course. Me and my brother used to go over after school,” he explains.
“I’ve always been quite naturally good at it, but in recent years for footballers it’s evolved a lot. I think a lot of players always think, ‘Oh, I’d love to be good at golf,’ or ‘Let’s go and play golf.’ Some are good, some are bad, and I’ve just always been lucky to be naturally quite good at it. I think my swing just comes naturally.”
It certainly looks as if it does. “I usually carry about 320” off the driver, he says, which to the uninitiated among us means the distance in yards he can hit the ball off the tee. We’re talking PGA tour standards here. And he likes to get a bit of practice in whenever he scores a goal. As Villa and Poland fans will know full well, almost every time Cash gets his name on the scoresheet, he makes his way to the corner flag before teeing off into the crowd.
“I played for Poland in a friendly and as soon as I scored, it just came to my head to go and hit a golf swing in the corner. I thought, ‘Oh, every time I score, I’m going to keep doing it.’ I carried on scoring, so I just kept on doing it. I didn’t think about it. I just did it in the moment.”
Naturally, it can be hard to find the time to indulge, what with Villa going all the way in the Europa League last term and now returning to the Champions League. Midweek fixtures mean more travelling, more recovery time and, crucially, less golf time.
“I don’t actually have enough time to play a lot of golf. If I can, I like going over to the range in the evenings to take a couple of hours to myself, but because we’re so busy with the schedule, it’s hard, and when I get time off, I just want to chill out. I don’t really want to go and hit balls because then I’m just tired.
“Being naturally quite good at swinging and hitting, I just sort of get on the course and am all right. So, if I played more, I probably would be a lot better.” Don’t be fooled by that false modesty, though. “I am a scratch golfer,” he adds. “Hopefully, I can get into the pluses in the next few years.”
Footballers playing golf is nothing new. England’s men’s team, for example, had an entire course at their Blankenhain base for EURO 2024 in Germany, while Harry Kane once described it as a way to switch off from the schedule and pressure of elite football. Several players took their clubs to the World Cup this year and the likes of Kane, Jordan Pickford and Elliot Anderson even played with PGA pro Brooks Koepka. As a result, he’s not exactly short of options when it comes to a friendly bit of competition, and yet Cash has very much got his eyes on bigger game.
“I’d [love to] have a round with Tiger Woods. Just because he’s the GOAT of golf.” It doesn’t stop there. “I’d like to have a game with Rory McIlroy. I know he’s a big football fan. I think he’s a Manchester United fan, and I’ve seen that he follows Villa on Instagram as well. So, hopefully he sort of finds out I’m good at golf. I know he’s probably busy, but I’d love to have a message from him!”
For now, though, the Villa star will have to make do with the legion of footballers who spend their time away from the pitch playing a round or two. He’s taken on Celtic’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison – who he claims almost got a hole in one on a par three – but after returning for a second round with Bullard in July, there’s clearly only one king of the course. “If you’re talking about ex-footballers and footballers, Bullard’s probably the best.”
While Cash may not have time to get out on the greens to close the gap to Bullard as he embarks on another hectic season, he’ll surely be hoping he’ll get to practise that famous swing a few times in front of the Villa fans again.
We all know somebody who’s just annoyingly good at everything, right? The old “I’ve never done it, but how hard can it be?” shtick, before absolutely destroying you at a game you’re halfway towards your 10,000 hours in? Well, it would seem as if Matty Cash is exactly that person.
Not content with being a Europa League-winning right-back, the Aston Villa man has been busy showing off his golf skills with former Premier League cult figure Jimmy Bullard on the latter’s YouTube channel. In fact, not content with just the one sporting pastime, he’s also cropped up putting cue to ball alongside snooker legend Stephen Hendry as well, even eliciting a “decent strike” from the seven-time world champion.
But get him talking about golf, and you know straight away that Cash is more than just a casual on the green. “Love golf. Love it. I’ve played since I was young. I used to live next to a golf course. Me and my brother used to go over after school,” he explains.
“I’ve always been quite naturally good at it, but in recent years for footballers it’s evolved a lot. I think a lot of players always think, ‘Oh, I’d love to be good at golf,’ or ‘Let’s go and play golf.’ Some are good, some are bad, and I’ve just always been lucky to be naturally quite good at it. I think my swing just comes naturally.”
It certainly looks as if it does. “I usually carry about 320” off the driver, he says, which to the uninitiated among us means the distance in yards he can hit the ball off the tee. We’re talking PGA tour standards here. And he likes to get a bit of practice in whenever he scores a goal. As Villa and Poland fans will know full well, almost every time Cash gets his name on the scoresheet, he makes his way to the corner flag before teeing off into the crowd.
“I played for Poland in a friendly and as soon as I scored, it just came to my head to go and hit a golf swing in the corner. I thought, ‘Oh, every time I score, I’m going to keep doing it.’ I carried on scoring, so I just kept on doing it. I didn’t think about it. I just did it in the moment.”
Naturally, it can be hard to find the time to indulge, what with Villa going all the way in the Europa League last term and now returning to the Champions League. Midweek fixtures mean more travelling, more recovery time and, crucially, less golf time.
“I don’t actually have enough time to play a lot of golf. If I can, I like going over to the range in the evenings to take a couple of hours to myself, but because we’re so busy with the schedule, it’s hard, and when I get time off, I just want to chill out. I don’t really want to go and hit balls because then I’m just tired.
“Being naturally quite good at swinging and hitting, I just sort of get on the course and am all right. So, if I played more, I probably would be a lot better.” Don’t be fooled by that false modesty, though. “I am a scratch golfer,” he adds. “Hopefully, I can get into the pluses in the next few years.”
Footballers playing golf is nothing new. England’s men’s team, for example, had an entire course at their Blankenhain base for EURO 2024 in Germany, while Harry Kane once described it as a way to switch off from the schedule and pressure of elite football. Several players took their clubs to the World Cup this year and the likes of Kane, Jordan Pickford and Elliot Anderson even played with PGA pro Brooks Koepka. As a result, he’s not exactly short of options when it comes to a friendly bit of competition, and yet Cash has very much got his eyes on bigger game.
“I’d [love to] have a round with Tiger Woods. Just because he’s the GOAT of golf.” It doesn’t stop there. “I’d like to have a game with Rory McIlroy. I know he’s a big football fan. I think he’s a Manchester United fan, and I’ve seen that he follows Villa on Instagram as well. So, hopefully he sort of finds out I’m good at golf. I know he’s probably busy, but I’d love to have a message from him!”
For now, though, the Villa star will have to make do with the legion of footballers who spend their time away from the pitch playing a round or two. He’s taken on Celtic’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison – who he claims almost got a hole in one on a par three – but after returning for a second round with Bullard in July, there’s clearly only one king of the course. “If you’re talking about ex-footballers and footballers, Bullard’s probably the best.”
While Cash may not have time to get out on the greens to close the gap to Bullard as he embarks on another hectic season, he’ll surely be hoping he’ll get to practise that famous swing a few times in front of the Villa fans again.
We all know somebody who’s just annoyingly good at everything, right? The old “I’ve never done it, but how hard can it be?” shtick, before absolutely destroying you at a game you’re halfway towards your 10,000 hours in? Well, it would seem as if Matty Cash is exactly that person.
Not content with being a Europa League-winning right-back, the Aston Villa man has been busy showing off his golf skills with former Premier League cult figure Jimmy Bullard on the latter’s YouTube channel. In fact, not content with just the one sporting pastime, he’s also cropped up putting cue to ball alongside snooker legend Stephen Hendry as well, even eliciting a “decent strike” from the seven-time world champion.
But get him talking about golf, and you know straight away that Cash is more than just a casual on the green. “Love golf. Love it. I’ve played since I was young. I used to live next to a golf course. Me and my brother used to go over after school,” he explains.
“I’ve always been quite naturally good at it, but in recent years for footballers it’s evolved a lot. I think a lot of players always think, ‘Oh, I’d love to be good at golf,’ or ‘Let’s go and play golf.’ Some are good, some are bad, and I’ve just always been lucky to be naturally quite good at it. I think my swing just comes naturally.”
It certainly looks as if it does. “I usually carry about 320” off the driver, he says, which to the uninitiated among us means the distance in yards he can hit the ball off the tee. We’re talking PGA tour standards here. And he likes to get a bit of practice in whenever he scores a goal. As Villa and Poland fans will know full well, almost every time Cash gets his name on the scoresheet, he makes his way to the corner flag before teeing off into the crowd.
“I played for Poland in a friendly and as soon as I scored, it just came to my head to go and hit a golf swing in the corner. I thought, ‘Oh, every time I score, I’m going to keep doing it.’ I carried on scoring, so I just kept on doing it. I didn’t think about it. I just did it in the moment.”
Naturally, it can be hard to find the time to indulge, what with Villa going all the way in the Europa League last term and now returning to the Champions League. Midweek fixtures mean more travelling, more recovery time and, crucially, less golf time.
“I don’t actually have enough time to play a lot of golf. If I can, I like going over to the range in the evenings to take a couple of hours to myself, but because we’re so busy with the schedule, it’s hard, and when I get time off, I just want to chill out. I don’t really want to go and hit balls because then I’m just tired.
“Being naturally quite good at swinging and hitting, I just sort of get on the course and am all right. So, if I played more, I probably would be a lot better.” Don’t be fooled by that false modesty, though. “I am a scratch golfer,” he adds. “Hopefully, I can get into the pluses in the next few years.”
Footballers playing golf is nothing new. England’s men’s team, for example, had an entire course at their Blankenhain base for EURO 2024 in Germany, while Harry Kane once described it as a way to switch off from the schedule and pressure of elite football. Several players took their clubs to the World Cup this year and the likes of Kane, Jordan Pickford and Elliot Anderson even played with PGA pro Brooks Koepka. As a result, he’s not exactly short of options when it comes to a friendly bit of competition, and yet Cash has very much got his eyes on bigger game.
“I’d [love to] have a round with Tiger Woods. Just because he’s the GOAT of golf.” It doesn’t stop there. “I’d like to have a game with Rory McIlroy. I know he’s a big football fan. I think he’s a Manchester United fan, and I’ve seen that he follows Villa on Instagram as well. So, hopefully he sort of finds out I’m good at golf. I know he’s probably busy, but I’d love to have a message from him!”
For now, though, the Villa star will have to make do with the legion of footballers who spend their time away from the pitch playing a round or two. He’s taken on Celtic’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison – who he claims almost got a hole in one on a par three – but after returning for a second round with Bullard in July, there’s clearly only one king of the course. “If you’re talking about ex-footballers and footballers, Bullard’s probably the best.”
While Cash may not have time to get out on the greens to close the gap to Bullard as he embarks on another hectic season, he’ll surely be hoping he’ll get to practise that famous swing a few times in front of the Villa fans again.
