English goalkeeper Ryan Neild faces tough decision after shock Football Australia announcement

One of the NPL’s leading goalkeepers faces the tough decision of whether he continues to play in Australia after a shock Football Australia ruling was made which impacts Visa goalkeepers. Details here.

Ryan Neild of the Modbury Jets.

It was a time in which Modbury Jets goalkeeper Ryan Neild should have been cherishing.

Coming off his best season yet, the English goalkeeper took home the Peter Nikolich Trophy for Football South Australia’s NPL goalkeeper of the year and was looking to continue his ‘perfect’ lifestyle in Australia.

However, instead of celebrating a stellar season on a team and individual level, the 29-year-old is now forced to weigh up the options for what the rest of his career holds after a new Football Australia ruling which only allows Australian goalkeepers to compete in NPL competitions from 2025.

“It’s been a bit of a crazy situation for me to be honest,” a devastated Neild said.

“Obviously because I found out on the day of the article being released from Football Australia, that was the first time I found out about this.

“There was no consultation, no discussion, I was just about to sign a new contract, I got offered a new deal from a club that I’m playing for down in South Australia called Modbury Jets and in my opinion I was signing.

“I was ready to go again and it just came out of absolutely nowhere, it was a shock to the system.

“I had a few conversations with people within Football SA just to see what’s going on and they didn’t really have any clarity on what’s happening.

“During this time what was so confusing and a little bit bitter sweet, I actually got nominated for the goalkeeper of the year and into the team of the year within SA.

“So I was receiving awards for my hard work and how I’d played in the season on one hand and then on the other hand I was getting that ‘unfortunately with no control you’ve got no club next year and your career is basically gone’.”

Ryan Neild at the RAA Celebration of Football, where he was honoured for his individual efforts in 2024.

Football Australia stated the reason for this decision was to enhance the development of Australian goalkeepers.

“The National Premier Leagues across the country play an important role in the elite performance pathway, supporting the development of Australia’s youth and senior national team players,” a Football Australia spokesperson said.

“Goalkeeping is a specialist position and unlike outfield players, teams tend to retain the same goalkeeper for an entire season and often for multiple seasons, limiting opportunities for emerging goalkeepers.

“The more places in NPL team rosters which can be allocated to the best emerging Australian talent will only create further depth and competition within our goalkeeping ranks, which will enhance the A-Leagues and national team prospects.”

However, according to Football Australia, across the 96 NPL top-tier squads, there were 192 listed goalkeepers, with VISA goalkeepers making up just 1.5 per cent of the category.

“To me that just even more blows my mind that the goalkeeper position has actually been picked out for this new rule,” Neild said.

“The fact that it isn’t across the whole positions on the pitch, it just makes me question, if there’s only three Visa goalkeepers at the moment, why is it even coming into question as a rule?

“Within SA just because I have been living in the state for two and half years, they have produced a lot of very good goalkeepers; Joe Gauci, Paul Izzo, there’s a few real good goalkeepers who have been produced here.

“So it’s not like Visa goalkeepers are blocking the pathway of young Australian goalkeepers because I understand that they want to improve the Australian goalkeepers, I get that.

“But I feel like there’s been no consideration because there’s probably so few numbers of Visa goalkeepers of the guys that are actually here, committed to their time, sacrificing their time and actually being a part of the community itself.”

One of the things which has left Neild shocked and disappointed the most, has been the sudden nature of the ruling, with players given little time to prepare for a life-changing move.

While he still would be disappointed to have to leave Australia, the 29-year-old would have been more accepting of the decision if foreign goalkeepers were given adequate notice.

“That for me would have been much more acceptable and I could have easily sat with that if you would have given me 12 more months to organise what the next steps are in my life,” he said.

Ryan Neild pictured with the Modbury Jets

“The fact it’s just come all of a sudden, I’ve brought my family here, I travelled with my girlfriend and my sister is here with me as well.

“It’s part of what I do as an income source, it’s part of my job, I do work as well because it’s semi professional but the fact that it can be ripped away like that and it’s causing me to now have a lot of discussions within my family because we’ve come here for me really.

“Then now it’s like ‘OK what do we do, do we go back to the UK?’ because we don’t know what else is the other options it’s quite a difficult one to take.”

For Neild, the Modbury Jets have been more than just a football team, they were the family and community which welcomed him in with open arms.

“That’s probably the hardest thing for me to be honest, because Modbury were the team that when I came over to Australia, they brought me in,” he said.

“I came with no club, they needed a goalkeeper, it just fit perfect, they needed someone, I was here and ever since it’s like a family there with me.

“With my family, they were great, they were so caring giving support with everything because when you move to a new country, you need support form the people within the community and Modbury have that tenfold.

“The people there are brilliant and the fact is if they’re now not going to be a part of my life and my family’s life all of a sudden.

“I think that’s probably one of the toughest parts leaving a club like Modbury because the family feel that they have there really helped us settle into this country.”

Along with having a major impact on his football and personal life, the verdict is also set to affect the Modbury Jets – who shared his disappointment in the sudden news.

“I had conversations with the chairman and he was very shocked and the manager was shocked because again to the club it’s been something that has been thrown on them as well as me,” Neild said.

Goalkeeper Ryan Neild (pictured middle)

“I was planning for next year, they had their plans for next year and then I was about to sign a new contract and be their number one goalkeeper.

“So that also puts the club in a bit of a difficult situation because they’ve had to go out and find a new goalkeeper to replace me.

“That’s not saying that can’t be done but goalkeepers is one of the positions where it’s very hard to find good quality goalkeepers who can come into a club and take over from someone who’s had a good year.

“So I think the club were also put in a difficult situation and they’ve tried to offer support to me and expressing how disappointed they are and its not something they ever wanted to do but unfortunately it's something that is out of all of our control.”

On the football pitch, playing in the NPL was taken his game to unforeseen levels as he thrived in the Jets system.

“It’s just opened up so many more doors and when I played in the UK, I also played in the Welsh Premier League and had experience playing there, learning a different style.

“I’ve come to Australia and again adapted to the style that is here, learning the style, becoming part of the community that’s here, trying to give back as much as possible, and also just trying to help out as much as I can.

“The impact that it’s had on me, it’s improved me as a goalkeeper tenfold, since coming here it’s the best I’ve ever played within my career in my opinion and that’s why I got recognised for goalkeeper of the year and team of the year nominations within the state.

“So I think it’s just been really good for me in terms of my career, it has been a step that I was really happy with and everything seemed to be going perfect in a way.”

Originally published as English goalkeeper Ryan Neild faces tough decision after shock Football Australia announcement