CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Charleston Battery announced on Thursday the club had signed defender Matt Sheldon, pending league and federation approval. Sheldon is the first new signing of the offseason for the Battery as he joins Head Coach Conor Casey’s squad for the 2022 USL Championship season.

“I'm extremely excited to be joining the Battery for the 2022 season,” said Sheldon. “From the outside, it looks like the Battery have built up a passionate and loyal community of supporters and I can't wait to step onto the field at Patriots Point and compete next season for this city.”

Sheldon joins the Black and Yellow following three campaigns with FC Tulsa where he became a staple in the club’s back line and helped lead the team to consecutive postseason appearances in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The 29-year-old logged 2,523 minutes of action this past season, second-most on the team. He also ranked in the top three for Tulsa in interceptions (48), tackles won (40) and duels won (182), marks that would place him first or tied for first on the 2021 Battery squad.

In attack, Sheldon contributed two goals, three assists and 21 chances created across 30 appearances.

“We really like his athletic profile, Sheldon is a good athlete, good runner, and a smart player,” said Casey. “He gives us some strength in the wide areas, but also some versatility. He’s played in a lot of different positions, and he has the experience, those are characteristics he’s going to bring to the team to help us.”

A native of Portland, Oregon, Sheldon has amassed experience both in the United States and abroad. This included stints in the USL Championship with Orange County SC and Saint Louis FC prior to joining Tulsa, in Germany with SG Kinzenbach, and in New Zealand with Waterside Karori AFC. Overall, he has recorded 90 regular season appearances in the Championship, recording two goals and six assists in almost 8,000 minutes of play.

Sheldon has also established a global following via his popular YouTube channel “Become Elite”, which has more than 460K subscribers as he gives a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a professional footballer, and his podcast titled “Against All Odds” where he regularly does Q & A’s and features his fellow teammates.

“What I'm looking forward to most about next season is just getting to work with a new group of teammates,” said Sheldon. “I can't wait for that first training session and just for the 2022 season to start.”