Socceroo goalkeeper Mat Ryan has been making history for quite some time. Last month the 23-year-old signed a six-year contract with Spanish club Valencia CF.
Ryan is the first Australian to play for Los Che and will be one of a rare group of Aussies, along with John Aloisi, Aurelio Vidmar and a handful of others, to have ever played in La Liga.
The shot-stopper’s move to Valencia made news around the world, particularly at home. Ryan has his chance in arguably the best league on the planet, in a technically elite competition where he can tangle weeklu with Real Madrid’s Galacticos and Barcelona’s treble winners.
But Ryan has been breaking records for a while. Back in 2010 he made his A-League debut with the Central Coast Mariners at the age of just 18 years and 142 days. He wasn’t the youngest ever keeper to debut in an Australian league, but he was the youngest to gain a regular starting spot.
In 2011 he won the Joe Marston Medal after the Mariners lost a grand-final penalty shootout with Brisbane Roar. Ryan was by far the youngest-ever Marston medal winner, according to statitican Andrew Howe, nearly four years younger than Abbas Saad was back in 1990.
At 19 he won an A-League premiership and at 20 he had won a grand final as well. Then he was off to Club Brugge in the Belgian Pro League, where he made history by winning back-to-back goalkeeper of the year awards.
At 20 he was also a Socceroo, as he continues to rack up both personal and team accolades at both club and international level.
However, this transfer to Valencia has catapulted him into the big-time. His arrival has sparked strong interest in Spain, a fair adjustment for a kid from small Plumpton in Sydney’s west.
“It’s great to be playing the sport I love in a country where the passion just goes to another level,” Ryan says.
“Being chased by photographers at the airport upon my arrival was something I never had witnessed before. But I know the most important thing is me doing my best on the pitch. So it’s easy to focus on that.”
One of the most level-headed Australian footballers, Ryan admits it felt good to join a limited group of Aussies who graced Spain’s top division.
“When I first became aware of it all it obviously brings a nice feeling,” he says.
“But I don’t want to just have been a part of the team, I want to achieve great things at the club and create some everlasting memories at the pinnacle of the game. Hopefully opens up a pathway for many more one day if I can come here.”
“I’ve been enjoying my experience there in a new part of the world. The city is very nice along with the weather and obviously the football is of the highest quality.
“There are always a number of new challengers when initially moving to a club but I’ve been happy with the way I’ve been adjusting and look forward to keep gaining the respect of the other players through performances and little things like learning the language etc.”
Ryan made his debut for Valencia against PSV Eindhoven last month and then backed it up with a clean sheet against Porto in another friendly last weekend.
“My debut was, all in all, a good learning curve by discovering how we want to play and learning about what types of players we have in the team.
“Also it being my first hit out of the season it was good to get the feeling of a match again. And statistic-wise it went well with a win and clean sheet.”
Just like at Club Brugge, Ryan has not come to Els Taronges to sit on the pine at the Mestalla. With vice-captain Diego Alves out of action with an ACL injury until January, the Sydneysider will battle it out with former Spain Under-19 international Yoel Rodríguez Oterino for the number one jersey.
Competing with a local won’t be easy but with Alves sidelined, Ryan knows a real opportunity is there to establish himself.
“I can only control how well I perform and I’ve gone there with the intention to be playing as always and I hope I can prove to the coach that I am the best man for the job,” Ryan says.
“I think the coach is looking for some stability now at the back there with a commanding goalkeeper; someone who has presence and is assured. I hope if it’s me I can deliver some nice performances for him in order to help the team win games.”
The Socceroo also has the benefit of having another English speaker, former Manchester United utility Phil Neville, on the coaching staff along with head coach Nuno Espirito Santo. The manager, who was a goalkeeper who played in both Portugal and Spain, speaks fluent English though Ryan is keep to learn Spanish.
“Yes it’s obviously always nice to have a conversation with someone like him who’s achieved it all,” he says.
“The coach speaks really good English also. But it’s good to have Phil to just relay the message and someone else’s brain I can pick.
“The translator is the coach, he speaks really well, and if he has something important to tell me he will tell me personally or in front of the team. But I’m looking forward to hopefully in a month two or three to be able to understand the lingo and speak a bit.”
Trying to stop Cristiano Ronaldo, keeping out Lionel Messi, thwarting Fernando Torres, you’d be hard not to blame Ryan for losing his focus. From Blacktown to ther Bernabeu is some journey. But that is certainly one thing you cannot accuse Ryan of, he is entirely driven and determined.
Raised by a single-mother, committed to suceed, here is a switched-on young man living his dreams.
“It’s obviously hard not to think of the stadiums teams and players you will face in a competition like this,” Ryan admits.
“But I’m just taking it one day at a time and trying to ensure it will be me out there playing first and foremost. Cross those other challenges when they come hopefully.”
The best part of this record-breaker? He has the best years of career ahead of him. Ryan has already achieved so much and he is just 23 years old.
Goalkeepers don’t reach their peak until they are much older and some thrive in their late 30s. We don’t know yet just how good Mathew David Ryan will become. But it should be a lot of fun watching to find out.
Follow John Davidson on Twitter @johnnyddavidson
Fadida
Guest
He was a fine player but playing in a great side does not make anyone automatically world class.
Ian
Roar Pro
Difficult to know how you measure this but the Socceroos would look a darn sight more capable with players of this quality than what is available now. If it be any measure, Craig Johnston and Harry Kewell are the only two Aussies to have won the UCL or what was previously called the euro Cup. No other Aussie has won as many top English tier medals (5 in old Div 1) as Johnston for one of the most dominant teams in English football history so he couldn't have been too shabby. Btw he was born in South Africa Add Cahill to the list and I guess that be it.
Franko
Guest
Farnia's move to Bari was full of promise. He'd done really well at Brugge and was the first Aussie to play in Serie A, sadly it didn't really work out. You're on iffy ground when including Craig Johnson, he made his bed. Robbie Slater could probably be in the conversation also, when he moved from Lens to Blackburn. Rovers had finished 2nd the year prior and Slater had won a cup in France, he was brought in alongside Chris Sutton (one to fly down the wing and cross, the other to finish) to help give them a bit of something extra to push to the title. They won the league, though Slater didn't play as much as he'd have liked, but it was a big move at the time. The biggest one may have been if Lucas Neil joined Barca when he had the chance....
Midfielder
Guest
The issue was Australian's to top European clubs... BTW to be the right mid in at the time he played there the best team in the world and the Barca of today me thinks he was a tad better than you imply ...
Realist
Guest
How is La Liga not the best league?
fadida
Guest
Craig Johnson "world class"? Not in a million years. He was a hard working player who chipped in with a few goals - in the Cahill bracket at best
Ian
Roar Pro
Tis great news about Mat who continues the Aus Football tradition of producing world class goalkeepers ala Schwarzer and Bosnich. To reach the latter stages of a World Cup finals campaign one has to have 20 world class outfield players in the squad. And when can the FFA programmes realistically do this ............in 10, 20 or 30 yrs? You can count Aus world class ball players on one hand if one were generous ie Harry Kewell, Craig Johnstone and maybe Mark Viduka but none yet in the current crop. The gap in quality was so very evident when watching the likes of Real Madrid and Man City "toy" with the A-League clubs, although there were few Socceroo level players on view. Of all the emerging nations Japan have produced some wonderful technical players after nearly 3 decades into a 50 year programme and they are clearly ahead of Aus in this regard but still not anywhere near being a consistent last 8 nation. It may still be a long time before the Socceroos again qualify into KO stages of a the World Cup Finals as they did in 2006 But I would of course love Ange P to prove me wrong. Anyways,............much luck and success to Mat Ryan..
Bondy
Guest
Good luck to Matty . Whoever said Australian Football cant or doesn't work I use to watch him play at CCMFC ,now pretty much he'll be playing against Messi, Suarez, Ronaldo, Benzema & Neymar .. Where there's light there's hope . . ______________________ Just another point Spanish football is far better in quality than most other leagues, debate may come from the Germans, but the EPL is a sing song,lots of songs and tunes poor quality football though apart from the bigger clubs that get seen to at ECL level of late .
Midfielder
Guest
While we are there remember Joe Marston at Preston North End and they won the FA Cup when it was considered the biggest club cup in the world and they beat West Bromwich Albion ..
Ian
Guest
I recall a view expressed similar to that a while back - along the lines of how many of the truly top players - such as those in the running for best player in the world - go TO England in their prime. and how many go to the Spain, Germany and Italy in their prime.
Ian
Guest
Good comment AZ
Midfielder
Guest
Brain Good call... Also Craig Johnson to Liverpool when they were the best team in the world... OK surfing for the UK and all that I used to love watching Craig down the right wing ..
Brian
Guest
Frank Farina's move to Bari
Brian
Guest
UEFA Coefficients 1. Spain 2. Germany 3. England 4. Italy 5. Portugal An objective guide except that it gives to much weighting to the Europa league which the bigger clubs do not take seriously when in a more competetive league. I'd probably have England in 2nd but otherwise the above is spot on.
AZ_RBB
Guest
But we're trying to determine which league to call the best. I'm open to discussion on the topic but I don't think EPL, Bundesliga nor La Liga should be laughed out of the discussion. I think a huge factor in determining the best league is to see how many of the world's best players it employs. Very few of the world's best play in the EPL these days.
Kaks
Roar Guru
Yes and No AZ. Yes we are familiar with the English teams, which does help, however the fact that any team in the EPL can win on any given day, the fact that there are plenty of characters and rivalries in the EPL and the fact that there seems to usually be 4 teams at the top, and 4-6 at the bottom fighting to avoid relegation, adds to the drama of the whole season. Last year was boring because Chelsea were so good, but the year before that we had Liverpool almost win only to lose to Chelsea and then lose a 3-0 lead to Crystal Palace and hand the title to City. Two years before that we had Sergio Aguero score a 93rd minute winner which clinched the title for City. There really is an extra degree of excitement in the EPL that the La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 dont have.
Midfielder
Guest
Vas Yer Vas I remember for about two years Harry was considered one of the top five left side players in the world ... given you have backs as well .... Harry in the end was let down by his body ... he was simply over played for the body he had... I hope that Rogic is not the same he has been out so much with injury and similar injuries to Harry ...
Midfielder
Guest
JIm Lets hope so...
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Spot on. And, we are familiar with "the brands" (clubs). I've played football with lads who have migrated from South America. They don't find any theatre or drama in EPL. They'd rather watch the Argentinean league, Brasil league, Colombian league, Chilean league .. They know the brands. They know the language.
marcel
Guest
Jim....It's probably 10 years ago now...but I once watched Valencia make Liverpool look like a pub team in a European tie.