Ryan seeks redemption at Valencia
Australia goalkeeper Mat Ryan might be out on loan for the rest of the season - but he hasn't given up hope of forcing his way back into the top spot at Valencia.
Relegated to third in the pecking order at the LaLiga club he joined in 2015 on a six-year deal, Ryan is rebuilding his confidence with Belgium side Genk, with one eye still firmly on Spain.
Relishing the much-needed game time at a team which hopes to advance to the last 16 of the UEFA Europa League on Friday morning (AEDT), Ryan still believes his long-term future lies in LaLiga.
"Definitely my goal is to play at the highest level I can, and Spain can provide me with the opportunity to do that," he said.
"But the path at this point has given me the match time I need.
"Playing and contributing to a team is what I love doing, and that's why I made the decision to come back to Belgium (where he previously excelled for Club Brugge).
Valencia had a large say in that, since it declined Ryan the permission he sought to join a fellow LaLiga club on loan.
"I wanted to stay I Spain and fought for that but the club didn't want to let me join a rival," he said.
"That was frustrating but understandable from the club's point of view."
"I am not trying to think to much about the future. I just want to help Genk get success and when I go back in July assess the situation then."
"In football, as in life, things can change fast."
Despite falling behind Diego Alves and Jaume Domenech this season, Ryan believes he continued to refine his craft in Spain, saying: "I felt like I have become a better keeper there, with high intensity training at a high level.
"Even in the situation of not getting game time taught me how easily it can be taken away from you.
"Now, I am cherishing playing first team football again that much more.
"I feel like I am reigniting my career in a league I know and had good memories of.
"I feel I have grown and learned a lot during this period of my life."
With Stuttgart's Mitch Langerak breathing down Ryan's neck ahead of March's twin World Cup qualifiers against Iran and UAE, he knew that staying at Valencia may have jeopardized his starting Socceroos spot.
"With the national team in mind, I spoke to the boss and he relied the message that it's important for his players to be playing.
"There are the qualifiers coming up, the Confederations Cup and then hopefully a fourth successive World Cup for Australia.
"With that in mind it wasn't an option for me not to be playing and let my chances of being involved fall any lower.
"The boss (Ange Postecoglou) always says no spot is guaranteed and I didn't want to lessen my chances, especially when the boss has other options who may be playing regularly.
"Had I stayed where I was, it might have been hard to get back in."
Ryan, who played in the first Europa League leg against Astra which ended 2-2, has high hopes of progressing in the competition.
"The tie is far from over but with two away goals we're in a nice position," he said.
"We would have liked to have won it because we conceded late in both halves.
"But it is what it is ... and now we have a massive game ahead of us."
