Rochdale Matheson was born in
Fallowfield,
Manchester. He attended
Trinity Church of England High School in
Hulme, Manchester. Progressing through
Rochdale's academy, Matheson made his first-team debut on 4 September 2018, during their
EFL Trophy group-stage tie against
Bury at the age of 15 years and 336 days, making him the club's youngest ever debutant. As well as this, Matheson was awarded with the man-of-the-match award for his performance in the 2–1 victory. On 19 January 2019, Matheson made his
English Football League debut in a 1–1
League One draw at home to
Fleetwood Town, as a half-time substitute for
Matt Done. On 25 September 2019, at the age of just 16, he scored the equaliser in a 1–1 draw against
Manchester United in the
EFL Cup third round at
Old Trafford, which Dale eventually lost 5–3 on penalties. On 31 October, he signed a three-year professional contract with the club, having turned 17 earlier in the month. Matheson scored his first league goal on 11 January 2020, opening a 2–0 home win over
Bolton Wanderers.
Wolverhampton Wanderers On 31 January 2020, Matheson signed for
Premier League side
Wolverhampton Wanderers, before re-joining Rochdale on loan for the remainder of the season. The transfer fee was £1 million. During his time at Wolves he struggled with injury, missing almost two entire season with various injuries. In 2026, Matheson described his time at Wolves as "torrid" due to injuries and "a step backwards" due to going from senior to under-23 football. He made two appearances for Ipswich before returning to Wolves at the end of his loan spell. He played a total of nine
Scottish Championship games and two games in the
Scottish League Challenge Cup. He was recalled by Wolves to facilitate a move to
Scunthorpe United.
Scunthorpe United (loan) On 15 January 2022, Matheson signed for
League Two club Scunthorpe United, for the remainder of the season. This would see him reunite with ex-Rochdale boss,
Keith Hill. He made his debut on the same day, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 loss against
Exeter City. Matheson was released by Wolves at the end of the
2022–23 season.
Bolton Wanderers On 1 August 2023, Matheson completed a move to EFL League One side
Bolton Wanderers on a one-year contract following a successful trial spell. He was initially assigned to the club's B team. He made his debut on 6 September in a 3–0 home win over
Salford City in the
EFL Trophy. Three weeks later he scored his only goal in seven games for the club (all in cups), coming on as a substitute in an 8–1 win against
Manchester United under-21 in the same competition. On 19 December, he and fellow B-Team prospect
Conor Carty signed new deals up to 2025 that would also promote them to the first-team squad. Matheson joined
League of Ireland Premier Division side
Bohemians on 22 February 2024, on a four-month loan deal. On 22 February 2025, Matheson joined
National League North side
Alfreton Town on loan for the remainder of the season. Bolton confirmed on 7 May 2025 that Matheson would leave at the end of his contract.
Macclesfield On 26 July 2025, Matheson joined newly promoted National League North side
Macclesfield. He signed as a part-time player while coaching their under-8 team. ==International career==