Asian Cup 2015: Socceroos goalkeeper Mat Ryan revealing his true potential
ASKED why on earth he would become a goalkeeper, Socceroo Mat Ryan laughs and says “it’s a good question”.
ASKED why on earth he would become a goalkeeper, Socceroo Mat Ryan laughs and says “it’s a good question”.
He pauses, before stating that initially he had a bit of a “why not?” attitude towards taking the gloves and planting himself between the sticks.
But then he gets a glint in his eye and talks about his steely resolve to be the best, to be the one to rescue his team in backs-to-the-wall situations, and it’s then that you start to understand why Ryan is fast making his way to the top.
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The 22-year-old has had three days off since the World Cup, but that’s the way he likes it.
He’s been busy making his mark in Belgium and is currently preoccupied with keeping Australia’s foes bay — successfully, too, so far at this month’s Asian Cup.
“We had 10 days in Australia, the World Cup, then to Belgium — even in Belgium we have the Europa League and we’re still alive in the Cup and obviously the regular season also,” Ryan said.
“I’ve only had three days off since July, the rest I’ve either been travelling with the national team on international breaks or doing recovery sessions with the club, so it’s been full on.
“But I’m loving it and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m feeling pretty fresh now too.
“In the first couple of months back in Belgium after the World Cup I was having a lot of little niggly injuries and that was making things a little more difficult.
“But probably just before the Japan game (in November) was when I started feeling fresh again, had no real injuries.
“So I’ve just sort of rolled on from that and I’m feeling good here.”
If he was feeling below par at the start of the season with Club Brugge then he wasn’t letting the outside world know about it.
The Belgian league is 21 games in, Ryan has started in each of those for top-of-the-table Brugge and has conceded just 21 goals.
It’s the sort of form that on Thursday saw him named Belgium’s goalkeeper of the year for 2014.
Socceroos teammate James Troisi also plays in the Belgian Pro League, for 10th-placed Zulte-Waregem, and said Ryan is a genuine star of the competition.
But the shot stopper may not be there much longer if reports this week that he is being monitored by Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers are on the money.
“He’s done incredibly well last season and this season again, their club is flying,” Troisi said.
“But wherever you go everyone knows about him and that’s a credit to the way he’s been going, and especially the last couple of months he’s been absolutely on fire.
“All credit to him, he works hard, and he’s got that spot for a reason.”
Last Friday’s Asian Cup opener against Kuwait was the first competitive game Ryan had played for the Socceroos on home soil.
He’d played friendlies in 2013 (against Costa Rica) and last year (against South Africa), but for World Cup qualifiers in the past he had been stuck behind Socceroos legend Mark Schwarzer.
Ryan said he feels as if the pressure is higher when playing international football because, unlike in club football, there isn’t an endless amount of games on the horizon to make amends for a mistake.
He hasn’t had to worry about that so far in the Asian Cup as he has been in sparkling form against both Kuwait and Oman, particularly Tuesday’s game at ANZ Stadium where he made a stunning fingertip save to deny Raed Saleh in the opening minutes.
But it’s knowing that he could be just one bad moment away from being shunted on to the bench that is driving him to become even better than he already is.
“I love the responsibility, I love almost having to be perfect in your position,” Ryan said.
“We don’t have the luxury of making mistakes and getting away with them because if we make a mistake then it’s pretty much going to result in something very big, very noticeable.
“I’m always striving for perfection, even though I know it’s not possible, I just do my best to try to be the exception I guess.
“I just love that responsibility, when your back’s up against the wall, to try and make a big save for your team when you’re not expected to, I really thrive off those situations.
“There’s so many different aspects to goalkeeping now which I enjoy also, playing out from the back and all those sorts of things, I guess I just love the role.”
Robbie Kruse, man of the match in the Socceroos’ 4-0 win over Oman, joins the Fox Football Podcast to reflect on the performance. Adam Peacock is joined in studio by Sasa Ognenovski and The Daily Telegraph’s Tom Smithies, and on the phone by Ned Zelic, to dissect the game, and the tournament thus far, from all angles.
Originally published as Asian Cup 2015: Socceroos goalkeeper Mat Ryan revealing his true potential