Barbara Cash is proud. Her son, Matty, has just received a rousing ovation from the supporters inside Poland’s national stadium and even in defeat, this was a special occasion that warranted a celebration.
Not only has the Aston Villa full-back played a part in Poland’s qualification for the World Cup play-offs, but he’s also given supporters a taste of what’s to come and Barbara can’t help but think what this would have meant to her late, football-loving father, Ryszard Tomaszewski, who was forced out of the country during the Second World War.
Advertisement
“He would have loved to have seen his grandson representing the country,” she tells The Athletic in Warsaw where the family have been invited to capture every moment from a trip that will long live in the memory, despite the 2-1 defeat.
Poland had already guaranteed second spot in the group so this was an experience designed to assist Cash for the future.
And what an experience it has been. From Matty making his debut as a substitute in the 4-1 win over Andorra on Friday to standing there last night in white and red, belting out the national anthem he had learned over recent weeks with more than 50,000 passionate Poles locking their eyes on his every move.
Brother Adam and his fiancee Lana were also in attendance. So, too, Cash’s sister Hannah and his aunt, Teresa, uncle, Tony and cousin, Alex.
That most of them were also here on their maiden voyage made the adventure even more unique. Cash’s father Stuart said after the game, in which the wing-back played the first half: “He’s made us all so proud. Now for the play-offs!”
If Cash playing for Poland sounds different, then so too is the journey of how his grandparents, Ryszard and Janina, ended up in England.
When the Soviet Union took control of Ryszard’s home town, Stanislawow, in 1941, he was deported to a work camp in Siberia with his mother and sisters where he remained until Joseph Stalin granted an amnesty years later.
The Tomaszewski family tried to build a new life, first in Iran, then India and then Tanganyika, now a part of the United Republic of Tanzania. After six years in Africa, they eventually made it back to Europe, arriving in Liverpool by ship.
Ryszard was just a young boy then, but in 1964, he met Janina and the pair married. Barbara was the first of three children and now you know why she is so proud.
Advertisement
Ryszard, a keen football fan, passed away a few years ago but Janina was able to watch Matty in action via the Polish channels that are hooked up to her home in England.
Barbara and her sister Teresa both speak Polish fluently but had never visited the capital before this week. Attending in such circumstances was quite the moment.
This was a journey that has been three years in the making and, judging by the way supporters have already taken to the full-back, there could be plenty of happy times ahead.
Poland watched every game Cash played for Villa after his £14 million move to the Premier League in the summer of 2020 from Nottingham Forest sparked a wider interest in his qualities.
When Paulo Sousa took over as manager at the start of 2021, he made his intentions to include Cash in the squad clear. Not that it was easy to put all the paperwork together and complete the process for a young man from Slough to represent a country he had never been to.
“There were lots of complications which led to delays,” says Stuart, as mistakes were initially made when filing various documents.
But when Cezary Kulesza, the president of the Polish FA, stepped in to play a vital part in speeding up the process, things started moving quickly.
“I can’t thank the president enough,” Matty adds. “But there were so many others who helped along the way, too. I’m just so happy that it got done in time for these November games.”
Sousa had explained why he wanted the full-back on board for games with Andorra and Hungary.
He watched Villa lose 3-1 to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in October and asked to meet Cash soon after. There he told him where he would fit in, how pivotal he would be to the squad, and the importance of spending time with the players to help prepare for the crunch World Cup play-off qualifiers, now scheduled for March.
Advertisement
That he got a start and was able to experience the electric home atmosphere only added to what feels like such a whirlwind of a story.
From the days at the London embassy where his new passport details were processed to tweeting out thank you messages in Polish (he couldn’t speak a word until last month).
Spełnienie marzeń o moim międzynarodowym debiucie! Bardzo dumna chwila dla mnie i mojej rodziny! Fantastyczna wygrana dla zespołu! Chodź po polsku ❤️🇵🇱 pic.twitter.com/z7vi0CHRF6
— Matty Cash (@mattycash622) November 12, 2021
Such was the interest in his call-up in Poland, Villa had to remind him not to get too distracted. His club performances certainly suggested he didn’t lose focus, but how could he ignore such noise?
Every sports journalist in the country wanted a piece of him. National team media were tweeting pictures of him daily and Villa’s official website even ran a video with a Polish-speaking employee running through some useful phrases, just for fun.
And rarely did his expression change. Cash smiled and played along, answering every question and following what was asked of him without so much of a flinch.
Robert Lewandowski may be the world-class star of the Poland team but Cash is quickly becoming the likeable support act. His attempts to interact despite the language difficulties have gone down well with staff and supporters. He even spent time talking to supporters and signing autographs when a group pitched up outside the team hotel, some wearing shirts with his surname on the back.
Perhaps such attention is fitting given he’s Villa’s most consistent player this season and one of the only outfield seniors who are genuinely in form.
Yet even for a young man so willing to talk, smile, pose for pictures when asked, and meet as many media requests as possible, these last few weeks have been pretty taxing.
“You cannot imagine what it has been like for this boy with all the expectations on him around joining the national team and to perform for the whole country,” Sousa said.
After Villa lost to Southampton and head coach Dean Smith was relieved of his duties, Cash tried to process the news before flying out to a training camp in Barcelona with his new team-mates.
Like many others, he was upset that Smith — the man who gave him his Premier League opportunity — had been sacked, but even at his young age, the flying full-back knows football moves quickly.
Within days, Steven Gerrard had been appointed, transforming the sombre mood into one of excitement. Now it was all about impressing his new team-mates — an experienced and well-organised bunch who have put quite the run of results together to be within a shot of making it to Qatar.
Mateusz Klich, the Leeds United man, was the first to get in touch, telling Cash he was looking forward to playing with him instead of against him following a series of battles over the years.
Then at the team hotel, Lewandowski pulled him aside for a 30-minute chat. He wanted to know more about the Premier League, his club (don’t get excited Villa fans), and his family background.
Advertisement
Food was initially a concern. Cash has a personal chef in England and sticks to a carefully structured diet, but there was no need for any special requests. If anything, he liked what was on offer — often a wide selection of cold meats, lentils, other sources of protein and fresh fruit — even more.
Whether it was the nutritional boost or just a general enthusiasm that helped him impress during the week is open to discussion. What does not need to be debated was the quality he showed in training, especially his first session, that Sousa described as “really fantastic”.
He showed no signs of nerves in Andorra either, quickly finding his groove in the latter stages of the game.
His brief for Poland is to get closer to the final third, to link up with the attackers and help keep a high line, especially against inferior opposition. It immediately worked as he put in several teasing deliveries from the right against Andorra and then got forward regularly against Hungary only for a late booking to give Sousa an excuse to freshen things up at the break with his side trailing.
Cash, always laughing and seemingly never down, chipped away at other team-mates for advice throughout the week.
He had listened and repeated the national anthem every time he got into his car back home and is now preparing full-time Polish lessons for the future, but still, the pronunciation is difficult.
“It’s good having breakfast, lunch and dinner with the boys because I can learn a lot,” he said, laughing at a busy pre-match press conference ahead of his home debut.
That Sousa also answered his questions in English appeared to make him more comfortable, but this was a room full of strangers with reporters scrutinising his every move.
Support staff around the Poland camp helped make him feel at ease. Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is also said to have been a particularly calming influence on him.
Advertisement
On Sunday night, there was some respite after an intense week as his family landed in the country and were allowed to spend some time nearby.
You might never meet a nicer bunch. Adam, a semi-professional player who runs the Football Icon Academy, came with his wife-to-be, Lara. Hannah, a professional golfer in the making and young cousin, Alex, a golf scholar at Wentworth, joined with his supportive mum and dad. All were so proud, yet humble. It’s easy to see where the Villa man gets his authenticity from.
Stuart will say he passed on some of his footballing brains, too, having played for clubs such as Chesterfield, Brentford and Wycombe Wanderers before moving onto the coaching circuit.
What we’re seeing now, though, is the development of an elite talent for club and country.
His eyes lit up when he entered into the Stadion Narodowy for the kick-off but he wasn’t fazed. Stuart, meanwhile, was anxious and nervous, as ever. Barbara became protective.
“Usually if the first 10 minutes do not go too well, she’ll go inside and just hope he’s alright from there on in,” Stuart says.
That worry stems from injuries he has suffered in the past. Cash, a whole-hearted and aggressive player, has had to curb his enthusiasm after an end-of-season debrief last campaign where it was agreed that seven bookings and a red card in 28 games was too much. Two yellows in 12 games for Villa shows an improvement but he was booked here and then watched the second half from the stands as Sousa opted for a change.
Those in attendance would have liked to have seen more, but this was all about building up for more important games to come, and the way he handled himself both on and off the pitch was impeccable.
Spending time with the family of a player during such a high-pressure moment reveals all the emotions loved ones go through around the event. From the travel to the fanfare and the pre-match nerves. When the action gets underway all that’s required is a positive performance — or for Barbara, her son to finish in one piece.
Advertisement
He did that while leaving room for improvement, but also stamping his mark on international football with an energetic display in a right wing-back role in Poland’s 3-4-3 system.
Of course, it doesn’t stop here. Next, it’s a trip to Bodymoor Heath to meet Gerrard before Saturday’s game with Brighton & Hove Albion where the family will reconvene and take up their position in a Villa Park box purchased especially for this season.
Cash is also hoping to move into a new home next week, another milestone.
Then it’s a four-month wait for another opportunity to feature for Poland, during which the pressure really will be on. The World Cup awaits.
(Top photo: Tomasz Folta/PressFocus/MB Media/Getty Images)
