In Tuesday’s Aussies Abroad feature we touched on the announcement that Socceroos starting goalkeeper Mat Ryan had agreed to a transfer to Spanish side Valencia. Earlier in the mid-year transfer window there were rumours he would be going to a big side such as Real Madrid, however, thankfully for the shot-stopper he has made a very smart move for his long term prospects.
Before analysing what Ryan will face on the field, it is best to look at the history of Valencia and find out what the club is about. They were founded in 1919 and since added six league titles with nine cup trophies to their trophy cabinents, as well as twice making the Champions League final. While not quite as successful as the two big Spanish clubs, they have been in and out of the European competition in recent years, making the round of 16 in 2013-2014. Last season they experienced a down, finishing eighth in the league but were able to reach the Champions League play-offs, giving them hope of entering in 2015-16.
Ryan’s primary competition will come from recent arrival Yoel. who was with the team last year as their backup goalkeeper but did not make an appearance. Both of these players will be hoping to open the season as the preferred goalkeeper, as vice captain Diego Alves is out for the start due to an ACL tear suffered in the final game of the previous campaign. The timing of his injury means he is unlikely to see the field before the new year, even with modern medicine enhancing the rehabilitation process.
If Ryan is able to win the competition to be the fill-in goalkeeper it will go a long way to cementing his place in the Valencia team. While winning the permanent job may be out of reach for the time being, he can certainly do his part by giving Alves competition to worry about. At age 30 and with a contract that runs until 2019, the Brazilian still has several years in front of him, so if Ryan does want to start for Valencia he will have to give the coach a reason to choose him over the incumbent.
La Liga is certainly a step up over the Belgian league, with the Socceroo facing a bevy of world class forwards ready to test out the young goalkeeper’s mettle. In his career so far, Ryan has shown the ability to perform on the biggest stage with no occasion being too big for him. In his first full season with the Mariners, he took advantage of another goalkeeper’s knee injury to help lead his team to a grand final appearance and a well deserved Joe Marston Medal at just 18-years of age. His time with Brugge has seen his game grow even further, with the extra training and higher level of competition as he quickly became a leader in their clubhouse.
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Trying to keep out the likes of Karem Benzema, Luis Suarez as well as other moderately skilled players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will certainly be a baptism of fire to the Spanish league. Before Alves is due to return, Valencia will face each of the top Spanish sides as well as a potential Champions League berth. Needless to say, Ryan is ready for the next step in what has been a promising career so far.
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