Maty Ryan’s journey to the Premier League

The Albion’s former number one, Maty Ryan arrived at the Amex Stadium in 2017 and has since made well in excess of 100 appearances for Brighton.

Until recently, the 6’0″ Aussie was firmly established as Graham Potter’s first choice between the sticks ahead of Jason Steele, Robert Sanchez and Christian Walton. But his journey to turning out in one of world football’s elite competitions has been far from straight-forward.

Now, with Sanchez appearing set to snatch the position, and Ryan rumoured to be leaving in January, we chart the most underrated keeper’s rise from semi-pro to being a mainstay in the Premier League.

Brighton tell keeper Matt Ryan he is free to leave in January transfer after being axed as No1 by Graham Potter after losing his place to Robert Sanchez. pic.twitter.com/HAjOATkciu

— Lilian Chan (@bestgug) December 31, 2020

A Land Down Under
Ryan started his career in his native Australia around his 10th birthday with the Marconi Stallions, a semi-pro outfit based in the suburbs of Sydney.

He swapped the Stallions for Blacktown City, and then joined the Central Coast Mariners before returning to Blacktown, with whom he’d make his senior bow.

But Ryan would make just 11 appearances in his second spell with Blacktown. It was back with the Mariners where the youngster would truly make a name for himself, playing close to 100 matches before earning a dream move to continue his career in Europe.

For every save made by a Premier League goalkeeper this weekend, Brighton's Matt Ryan will donate $500 to Australia's wildfire emergency rescue.

Absolute class. 👏@OfficialBHAFC @premierleague #MattRyan pic.twitter.com/nKBMnAVG36

— 90 Minutes & More (@90minutes_more) January 10, 2020

Joining the Elite
For players operating outside of the continent, a move to Europe provides an opportunity for young talents to test themselves at the very top of club football.

Ryan’s move to Club Brugge, in Belgium, was confirmed on 30 May 2013 and the maturing goalkeeper would go on to make 77 appearances for the Blauw-Zwart.

Ryan was an instant hit with his club and his continued good form attracted the interests of Valencia. This development offered the ambitious young star the chance to test his abilities against some of the greatest attacking players in the world.

However, the form of Diego Alves limited Ryan’s opportunities in Spain and he would enjoy a spell on loan back in Belgium, this time with Genk, before sealing a permanent move to Brighton in the same year.

Rules of engagement
Ryan, like many of his Albion team-mates, has engaged with supporters throughout his spell at the Amex, be that through social media and official events or signing autographs as the team arrives for match day. Creating those points of engagement is crucial for the fan base of any club and Ryan has certainly played his part in this area.

Of course, in the modern age, there is no shortage of ways for fans to interact with the club and the sport. Brighton’s own social media channels give us a closer insight than ever before into post-match preparations and happenings at the training ground.

Additionally, Prime TV’s recent series of behind-the-scenes documentaries, including at Manchester City and Tottenham has given fans an intimate glimpse into what life is like behind the scenes.

It’s all part of a growing marketplace of engagement points for the modern football fan, alongside sectors like online gaming, where football-inspired games like Football Rules and Football Glory have helped to create new ways for supporters to enjoy their hobby.

In a blog post, bonusfinder.com/uk wrote about some of the best casino gaming websites available and many of the platforms listed carry these games.

As well as being entertaining, these games provide an insight into one of the ways in which football is moving with the times. However, even though there are now more ways than ever before to interact with favoured players, the traditional ways, like wearing their jersey and studying their playing style, also endure.

If Ryan does move on then his presence at the club as a friend to supporters will be missed. The acquisition of the Aussie stopper for an undisclosed fee four years ago did prove to be a shrewd one and, at 28, there’s still plenty left in the tank, even if his career takes him elsewhere.