Date / Year of birth: 21st August 1987

Position: Right-back / Midfielder

Season of first appearance: 2007/08

Season of last appearance: 2008/09

Also played for: Brentford (7+40,2), Gravesend & Northfleet, Crawley Town, AFC Wimbledon and Braintree Town

Versatile 5' 8" tall player born in Wandsworth, London who started his career with Brentford and progressed through the Bees' youth ranks. Ryan made his first team debut as a second half substitute in a 3-0 defeat at Peterborough in League One on 21.8.04 - the day of his 17th birthday - and future Margate player Alex Rhodes also featured as a sub for Brentford that day. At that time Ryan usually played as a striker and on 24.8.04 he started for the first time as the Bees lost 2-0 at Ipswich in a League Cup tie. He played twice more before joining Conference club Gravesend & Northfleet on loan in December 2004.

Ryan made his debut for the Fleet as a substitute in a 3-1 home defeat against Barnet on 11.12.04 and curiously after replacing former Margate striker Manny Omoyinmi early in the second half he was later replaced himself by James Pinnock who by then had had a loan spell with Margate. A hamstring problem meant that the Barnet game ended up being Ryan's only Conference outing for Gravesend and he returned to Brentford in January 2005.

After going back to Griffin Park Ryan made three further sub appearances for Brentford before coming on to score his first goal for the club in a 3-3 home draw with Sheffield Wednesday on 26.2.05. He then featured from the bench in another three games before being handed a rare start as the Bees beat visitors Hull 2-1 on 7.5.05. Ryan finished the 2004/05 season having played 13 times in the senior side, scoring once.

He made his first appearance of the 2005/06 campaign in a 5-0 defeat at Cheltenham in the League Cup on 23.8.05 and then on 29.8.05 Ryan scored in a 1-1 draw with Gillingham at Griffin Park. He was a regular in Brentford's matchday squad for much of the season but was usually used as a substitute and by the end of 2005/06 he'd added another 14 first team appearances to his career tally.

Ryan had seven senior outings for the Bees at the start of the 2006/07 campaign, all bar one of them as a substitute, and future Margate loanee Karle Carder-Andrews had progressed to Brentford's first team squad by then.

In November 2006 Ryan joined Crawley on loan and scored on his Conference debut for the Sussex club as they drew 1-1 at Altrincham on 18.11.06. He made three more appearances without scoring again and then returned to Griffin Park in December 2006.

Ryan featured four times as a sub for Brentford in the next few weeks and at the end of March 2007 he was loaned to AFC Wimbledon. He made five appearances (four as sub) without scoring for the Dons in the Isthmian League Premier Division before going back to the Bees towards the end of April 2007.

Ryan had three more sub outings for Brentford in the closing weeks of the season and at the start of 2007/08 he played six times as a substitute with his last appearance from the bench coming in a 3-0 home defeat against MK Dons in League Two on 15.9.07. That turned out to be Ryan's final game for the Bees and by then he'd made a total of 47 senior appearances (40 as sub) and scored twice.

At the start of October 2007 Ryan joined Margate on a month's loan and he made his debut wearing the number seven shirt in a 3-2 defeat against East Thurrock at Hartsdown Park in an Isthmian League Cup tie played on 2.10.07. After the match player-manager Robin Trott told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "He is really a forward, but I want to utilise him down the right as has loads of pace and good composure on the ball." Ryan then started Margate's next two games in midfield but after he'd played in a 3-0 defeat at Carshalton in the Isthmian League Premier Division on 9.10.07 he only featured twice as a substitute in the next five matches.

Ryan returned to the starting line-up for a game at Folkestone on 29.10.07 and wore the number two shirt for the first time. He got forward to score what the Isle of Thanet Gazette called a "wonder-goal" when he crashed a shot past former Margate keeper Charlie Mitten from the edge of penalty area and the match ended as a 1-1 draw. Immediately afterwards Ryan's loan was extended for another month and Robin Trott told the Gazette "I think Terry Butcher (Brentford's manager) sees him as a centre-forward but for me he shone at right-back. He lives a long way away but he wants to stay on here and that tells you something about the boy."

Ryan became Margate's regular right-back and in its report on a 2-1 win over Harrow at Hartsdown Park on 10.11.07 the Thanet Times said "he flies down the flank and isn't afraid to defend". Before the month was out Ryan's loan was extended again and coach Steve McKimm told the Thanet Times "He's a class player - he's got pace, strength and he's great on the ball....I think he's good enough for the Football League but that's only my opinion and it doesn't count for a lot."

In December 2007 Terry Butcher was sacked as Brentford's manager and Robin Trott was worried that Ryan would be recalled by his parent club before his loan expired in January 2008. Trott told the Thanet Times "I would love Ryan to see out the loan period with us. He's been tremendous for us." However after playing in a 1-0 defeat at Horsham on 29.12.07 Ryan was called back by Brentford. Robin Trott told the Isle of Thanet Gazette he would try to sign Ryan permanently and said "Ryan's immense, isn't he ? He's a great footballer, a hell of an athlete, he's got vision and he's young as well."

Towards the end of January 2008 Margate got their man when Ryan signed a contract with the club running to the end of the 2008/09 campaign. Brentford had allowed him to leave as his contract was due to expire at the end of the season.

Having missed three games Ryan returned to the Margate side at right-back in a 1-0 win at Boreham Wood on 26.1.08 and from then on he was a fixture in the number two shirt, only missing two matches before the end of the campaign. The Thanet Times said he was Margate's "brightest player" in a 2-1 home defeat against Hastings on 2.2.08 and shortly after that Ryan was selected for England's Futsal (five-a-side) team.

On 15.3.08 he had to go off injured in a 2-0 defeat at AFC Hornchurch after Margate's keeper Scott Chalmers-Stevens collided with him and on 12.4.08 Ryan scored his second goal for the club in a 4-2 win at Leyton after being switched to an attacking role at half-time. The Thanet Times said he "looked to enjoy his chance to play up top". Ryan made his last appearance of the season in a 5-4 defeat against Folkestone at Hartsdown Park on 19.4.08 but he was carried off with a hamstring injury after 60 minutes and finished the campaign having scored twice from 33 outings (two as sub).

In July 2008 Margate's new manager Barry Ashby told the Thanet Times "You can see Ryan's a class act. He's got pace, good touch and a good football brain. We want to try and get him in areas where he will cause damage. If it's up front, it's up front; if it's off the frontman, it's off the frontman. He played right-back last year because it needed to be done for the team and he could do it. From my point of view, he's got a lot of talent and while he may be an asset at the back I think he can do a lot of damage in the last third."

Ryan was used as a striker in Margate's pre-season matches and scored four goals including two in the last friendly - a 3-1 home win over Cray on 10.8.08. He also had a penalty saved in the first half of the game. In its report on the match the Thanet Times said "Blues have got one of the best players in the league on their side" and added he was "one luxury Margate have to afford".

Ryan began the 2008/09 campaign in the number seven shirt as Margate lost 2-1 at Carshalton in the Isthmian League Premier Division on 16.8.08 and that was the start of a run playing either up front or as a winger. He scored his first goal of the season in a 2-1 win over Heybridge at Hartsdown Park on 30.8.08 and Ryan also found the net in a 2-1 defeat at Tooting & Mitcham on 9.9.08 when he curled home a free-kick from just outside the penalty area. The Isle of Thanet Gazette said it was a "superb" strike but he later went off with a hamstring problem.

After missing a game due to his injury Ryan returned to the side when he played at right-back in a 1-0 win at Ashford (Middlesex) on 20.9.08 and he also started the next four matches in the number two shirt. Following a 0-0 home draw with Tonbridge on 23.9.08 Barry Ashby told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "To be fair to Ryan, I just thought he'd be better suited further up the pitch. He was a striker when he first came to the club and with his pace and ability we thought he'd cause problems further up the pitch. Ryan's played six or seven games up front and done well but maybe we lost a bit of pace and experience at the back by moving him. Maybe he's better coming on to the ball, rather than having his back to goal."

The Thanet Times said Ryan "made a number of cracking forward runs" in a 1-0 defeat against visitors Hendon in the FA Trophy on 18.10.08 but he then missed two matches due to injury. He marked his return to the team with a goal in a 3-2 defeat at Billericay on 1.11.08 and the Thanet Times described Ryan as "excelling" as a wing-back. The paper said his goal was "smashing" as Ryan ran 40 yards and beat two defenders before poking the ball home. Unfortunately he was stretchered off with an ankle injury in Margate's next game - a 2-0 defeat at Horsham on 8.11.08 - and Ryan then missed the next seven matches.

He made his comeback in midfield as Margate beat Harlow 3-0 at Hartsdown Park on 20.12.08 and after one more outing in the number seven shirt Ryan reverted to right-back for a 2-0 home defeat against Dover on 3.1.09. He kept his place in defence for the next five games and on 7.2.09 Ryan scored a brilliant solo goal in a 2-0 home win over Tooting & Mitcham, slotting home after a solo run from his own half. He made it back-to-back goals by tucking away a penalty in a 3-1 win over Boreham Wood at Hartsdown Park on 21.2.09 and for the remainder of the season Ryan usually played in an attacking role.

The Thanet Times said he was "influential in the opening 45" of a 2-0 defeat at Wealdstone on 28.2.09 and on 3.3.09 Ryan got his sixth goal of the campaign from the penalty spot in a 4-0 win at Canvey Island.

At the start of April 2009 Margate's assistant manager Neville Southall spoke to the Isle of Thanet Gazette about Ryan and said "I think he's been our best player in the last six weeks and I really hope we can keep him. He's been different class. Everyone knows he's on decent money and he could have taken a back seat, knowing he'd get another club next season, but he's given everything. He's been doing things I've never seen from him before - getting into scuffles on behalf of the team and having a go at his team-mates."

Ryan took his goal tally for the season to seven in a 3-2 defeat at Heybridge on 11.4.09 and it was another excellent solo strike as he ran from the halfway line and beat a defender before firing home. He played twice more after that and a 2-0 win over Sutton at Hartsdown Park on 18.4.09 turned out to be Ryan's final outing for Margate. He missed the last game of the campaign due to a knee injury and ended the season having scored seven goals from 34 appearances as Margate finished in the Isthmian League Premier Division relegation zone.

Ryan was offered a new deal for the 2009/10 campaign by manager Terry Yorath and he told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "Obviously his contract was up and we've offered him a new one. It's a decent contract but it's up to him to have a look and make a decision. He's a London lad so money and travelling will probably come into his decision. But even if he goes to another club we can seek compensation because he's under 24."

After Ryan had refused Margate's terms Yorath told the Gazette "Ryan turned down a contract on the money we offered him and by all accounts he's come to an agreement with Braintree but they've not been on to us which is a bit disappointing. Braintree should be talking to us because Ryan's under 24 and we're entitled to a fee. What happens next depends on whether they get on to us or we get on to them. I've not heard from Ryan but we've offered him the best deal we can."

His move to Braintree was soon confirmed although no details of any financial settlement were released and manager Robbie Garvey told the Conference South club's website "I've been keeping an eye on his progress since he left Brentford and I know that he is a really versatile player who is both quick and hard working. I think his best position is right-back, but I know he can also do a job for us in both midfield and up front if necessary."

After a season with Braintree Ryan was due to sign for Staines in June 2010 but the move fell through when Staines discovered they'd have to pay a fee and as a result Ryan stayed with Braintree. The club won the Conference South title during 2010/11 and Ryan went on to make 26 Conference appearances (three as sub) for the Iron without scoring during the 2011/12 season.