Star earned £25k-a-week at Burnley FC - He's now in the UAE second division | OneFootball

Matt Lowton is now playing his football out in the UAE.

Matthew Lowton was a brilliant servant for Burnley, but supporters will be surprised to hear he is now playing football for a second-division side in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The full-back began his career at Sheffield United and after spells with the Blades, Ferencváros and Aston Villa, found himself at Turf Moor.

Signed for a fee believed to be in the region of £1 million, he quickly asserted himself under the guidance of Sean Dyche and became a regular in the team that secured promotion to the Premier League. His reliable and consistent performances from right-back earned him the respect of Burnley fans, and he played a pivotal role in the club's successful Premier League campaigns.

His eight-year tenure at the club came to an end in 2023 with the defender leaving upon the expiry of his contract. In his goodbye message to the supporters and staff, he said: "The love I have for this club - I can’t really put it into words."

It was a bittersweet yet fitting farewell message, and Clarets supporters will be surprised to see where their former £25k-a-week star is playing now.

Matthew Lowton's move to the UAE

Many would have expected Lowton to continue in the football league after his departure from Burnley, but instead, he went to the Northern Premier League Division One West to sign for Witton Albion after a failed trial at Birmingham City.

After a short spell with the Albs, he opted to make the strange choice in September 2024 to move over to the UAE and sign for second-division side Precision FC.

The Emirati football club were only founded in 2023, but in their first professional season they ensured promotion from the third tier of their respective league system. They now sit fifth in the division above and will be targeting a spot in the top flight in the near future.

Many will be wondering why Lowton decided to make this move. Well, the club is owned and managed by British defender Sonny Cobbs, who had a regular career in non-league football during his playing days.

It isn't just Lowton featuring for Precision either, with the likes of Ravel Morrison, Harry Arter and Jamie Ward all regulars for the side.

Cobbs has ambitions of taking his start-up club far and, in the near future, hopes to see them competing in the Asian Champions League. Whether Lowton will be around to witness this remains uncertain, but at 35 years old, Precision has offered him a comfortable wind-down to his career.

Burnley supporters will have fond memories of Matt Lowton

Lowton's career is at a very different stage now, but just three years ago he was making his 200th appearance for the club he signed for in 2015.

His best season for the Clarets came in 2017-18, when he was an integral part of the side that managed to sneak into seventh place and secure a European spot. Over his 203 appearances for Burnley, he registered three goals and 14 assists, with his only career honour coming in the 2015-16 season when the club won the Championship.

However, his best moment arguably came for Villa when he scored an absolutely stunning volley against Stoke City in a 3-1 win (see below).