Ryan Green facts for kids

Ryan Green (born 20 October 1980) is a Welsh footballer. He plays as a defender for the club Westfields. In 1998, he played two games for the Wales national team. He became their youngest player at the time, breaking a record held by Ryan Giggs. This record has since been broken by other players.

Ryan Green's Football Journey

Starting Out at Wolverhampton Wanderers

Ryan Green began his football career as a young player with Wolverhampton Wanderers. He became a professional player in October 1997. Even though he had already played for his country, the team's manager kept him in the reserve squad.

On 10 November 1998, Ryan made his first team debut. He played in a game against Sheffield United. The local newspaper praised his performance. He was cheered by the fans when he had to leave the game due to an injury.

In January 2000, Ryan asked to leave the club because he wasn't playing much. However, at the start of the 2000–01 season, he got more chances to play. In October, he was sent off (given a red card) in a game against West Bromwich Albion. After this, he didn't start another game for the team. He played a total of eight starting games and four games as a substitute for Wolverhampton Wanderers.

In early 2001, Ryan asked to leave the club again. He then joined Torquay United on loan. He played ten games there, helping them avoid being moved down to a lower league.

Moving to Millwall and Sheffield Wednesday

On 20 October 2001, Ryan moved to Millwall for free. He made his first appearance for them on the same day in a 3–3 draw against Nottingham Forest.

In November 2002, he joined Cardiff City for a short time. Two weeks later, he moved to Sheffield Wednesday. He was released by Sheffield Wednesday at the end of the season.

Playing for Hereford United

In August 2003, Ryan signed with Hereford United. On 23 September, he scored his first goal as a professional player. It was a left-foot shot that won the game 2–1 in the last minutes. This goal helped Hereford stay in first place in their league.

Hereford United finished the season in a play-off spot, but they were knocked out in the semi-finals. Ryan played 26 league games in the 2004–05 season. He scored one goal in a 4–1 win. Hereford reached the play-off semi-finals again, but lost.

In his third season at the club, Ryan scored in a 4–0 home win. For the third year in a row, Hereford made it to the play-offs. They won their semi-final game, which led them to the final against Halifax Town on 20 May 2006. In this important game, Ryan scored the winning goal in extra time, making the score 3–2. This win helped Hereford United get promoted to a higher league!

Time at Bristol Rovers

On 31 May 2006, Ryan signed a two-year contract with Bristol Rovers. He played his first game for them on 5 August. Ryan played in 33 league games in his first season with Bristol Rovers. He got a foot injury in February 2007. Because of this injury, he missed the Football League Trophy final, which his team lost.

He returned to play in the final games of the season. Bristol Rovers made it to the play-offs. After winning their semi-final, Ryan played in the final on 26 May at Wembley Stadium. His team won 3–1, which meant they were promoted to a higher league!

Ryan had more injury problems, including a broken jaw and Achilles tendon issues. His contract was not renewed, and he left the club on 8 May 2009.

Returning to Hereford United

On 5 June 2009, Ryan signed again with Hereford United. He stayed with the club until 2012. After the team was moved down to a lower league, Hereford did not offer him a new contract.

Later Career and Coaching

In August 2012, Ryan joined Welsh Premier League club Port Talbot Town.

After one season, Ryan left Port Talbot. In June 2014, he joined Merthyr Town. He was the team captain and helped them win their league, earning promotion to a higher division.

On 14 September 2015, he signed for Hereford. This was a new club formed after Hereford United stopped playing. He played in the Midland League Premier Division. After a successful season where they won promotion, Ryan signed for another year in July 2016.

In September 2018, Ryan became a player-manager for Hereford for a short time. He looked after five matches. In December 2018, Ryan took a break from playing but stayed at Hereford as a scout.

On 11 July 2019, Ryan joined Westfields. In July 2023, Ryan, at 42 years old, rejoined Westfields.

Playing for Wales

Ryan Green was born in Cardiff. He played his first full international game for Wales on 3 June 1998. This was before he had even played a senior game for his club! At 17 years and 226 days old, he became the youngest player to play for Wales. He broke the record held by Ryan Giggs.

Wales' manager at the time chose Ryan for another game, which was his second and last time playing for his country. Ryan Giggs himself said that choosing Green was a "typical Gould stunt."

Ryan's record as the youngest Welsh international stood until Lewin Nyatanga broke it in 2004. Later, Gareth Bale held the record. It is currently held by Harry Wilson, who was 16 years and 207 days old when he played his first game in 2013.

Career Statistics

Club

Honours and Achievements

Ryan Green has achieved several honours throughout his football career:

Hereford United

• Won the Conference National play-off in 2006.

Bristol Rovers

• Was a runner-up in the Football League Trophy in 2006–07.
• Won the Football League Two play-off in 2007.

Merthyr Town

• Won the Southern Football League South & West in 2014–15.

Hereford

• Won the Midland Football League Premier Division in 2015–2016.
• Won the Midland Football League League Cup in 2015–2016.
• Was a runner-up in the FA Vase in 2015–16.
• Won the Herefordshire FA County Cup in 2015–2016.
• Won the Southern Football League South & West in 2016–17.