Matteo has always struggled to hold down a regular first-team place at Anfield. However, he looked to have made a significant breakthrough during the 1999-2000 campaign, appearing in all but six of Liverpool's Premiership fixtures, helping the Reds form the tightest defence in the division.
The Dumfries-born defender made the left-back position in Gerard Houllier's side his own, using his attacking instincts to supplement the Reds' forward line at every opportunity. Over the campaign, he made a total of 1,127 short passes - more than any other Liverpool player. And he was certainly productive with the possession he was given, setting up five goals - the highest total at the club.
The campaign was so successful for Matteo that Scotland manager Craig Brown was prompted into naming him in his squad for the coming campaign. After featuring in several England squads, but never actually playing for the national side, the Liverpool star finally looked assured of recognition at international level.
However, the imminent arrival of German wing-back Christian Ziege is likely to restrict Matteo's first-team opportunities during the coming season. And he may now choose to join David O'Leary's exciting team, rather than risk his international future by languishing in the Liverpool reserves.
During his career, Matteo has been used in a variety of defensive positions, and he is likely need this versatility when he arrives at Elland Road. Ian Harte looks assured of the left-back position Elland Road, having fired six goals and created five more on the way to being named in the PFA team of the year. Consequently, Matteo's most likely position looks to be in central defence, a position he is more than familiar with.
Whether the Liverpool man has the ability to cope with this position is questionable. Matteo has often been accused of lacking the strength to mark an opposing striker out of the game, an opinion backed up by the fact that he won just 49% of his challenges in the 1999-2000 campaign. Similarly, he won fewer balls in the air than any of Liverpool's other defenders, perhaps indicating that Matteo is more effective going forward than when employed in a defensive role.
However, after failing in his pursuit of England international Rio Ferdinand, O'Leary clearly felt that his side needed a composed defender to complement the robust skills of Lucas Radebe and Jonathon Woodgate. Last season, the Leeds defenders won 60% and 56% of their tackles respectively, and both made over 250 headed clearances. So with Radebe and Woodgate taking most of the defensive duties, perhaps O'Leary feels that Leeds can accommodate a more cultured player in his defence, and in Matteo, the Leeds boss looks to have found his man.
