Ryan Green

Ryan Green (born 20 October 1980) is a Welsh former footballer who played as a defender. He earned two international caps for Wales in 1998, breaking Ryan Giggs's record as their youngest player, a record which has since been surpassed.

Club career

Wolverhampton Wanderers Green began his career as a trainee with Wolverhampton Wanderers turning professional in October 1997. Despite already being a full international, manager Mark McGhee kept him in the reserves. His successor Colin Lee needed a replacement for defender Kevin Muscat on 10 November 1998 and gave Green his debut in a 2–1 First Division victory against Sheffield United at Molineux. He was praised by local newspaper Express & Star for his performance, and was given an ovation when he was substituted due to injury. During his recuperation, Muscat recovered and regained his place in the team.

Green handed in a transfer request in January 2000, when he was not chosen for an FA Cup game against Sheffield Wednesday, and Lee stated that his preferred right backs were Muscat and Darren Bazeley. However, at the start of the 2000–01 season, Bazeley was moved into right midfield and Muscat to left back, giving Green an extended run in the team. He never started for the team again, and totalled eight starts and four substitute appearances in his time at the club.

Millwall and Sheffield Wednesday Green moved to fellow First Division side Millwall on a free transfer on 20 October 2001, until the end of the season, signed by his former Wolves manager McGhee. He made his debut later that day in a 3–3 draw against Nottingham Forest at The New Den.

He almost joined Bradford City in 2002, a move scuppered by the financial impact on Football League clubs of the ITV Digital collapse. Instead he joined Cardiff City on a monthly contract in November 2002, joining Sheffield Wednesday two weeks later. He was released by Wednesday at the end of the season, having been relegated to the Second Division.

Hereford United In August 2003, Green signed for Conference side Hereford United. On 23 September, against Telford United at Edgar Street, he scored his first senior goal, a left-foot volley to seal a 2–1 win in the third minute of added time and keep the Bulls in first place in the league. On 13 December, he was sent off in the last minute of a 0–1 home loss to Tamworth. The team finished the season in the play-off places, where they were eliminated in the semi-finals by Aldershot.

Green played 26 league games in the 2004–05 season, scoring his only goal of the campaign on 30 August in a 4–1 win at Northwich Victoria. Hereford again reached the play-off semi-finals, losing 2–1 on aggregate to Stevenage Borough.

He opened his third season at the club on 13 August 2005, scoring the third goal of a 4–0 home win over Scarborough. Sixteen days later, in a 1–0 win at Tamworth, he was sent off for violent conduct. For a third successive season, Hereford made the play-offs, and dispatched Morecambe in the semi-finals to set up a final against Halifax Town on 20 May 2006. In the decisive game, at Leicester City's Walkers Stadium, he scored the 108th-minute winner in a 3–2 victory.

Bristol Rovers On 31 May 2006, Green signed a two-year contract with Bristol Rovers of League Two. He made his debut on 5 August, replacing Chris Carruthers for the final 15 minutes of a 2–1 loss at Peterborough United. Green made 33 league appearances in his first season with the Pirates but suffered a foot injury in the 4–3 away defeat to Grimsby Town on 20 February 2007. Due to the injury, he missed the Football League Trophy final, which his team lost to Doncaster Rovers. He returned for the final stages of the campaign as they qualified for the play-offs. After eliminating Lincoln 7–4 on aggregate in the semi-finals, he played in the final on 26 May at Wembley Stadium, a 3–1 win over Shrewsbury Town.

A broken jaw and further Achilles tendon problems in a volatile match at Swindon Town ruled him out for the rest of the following season. A hamstring injury sustained in a pre-season friendly added to Green's injury nightmare. His contract was not renewed, and he left the club on 8 May 2009.

Return to Hereford United On 5 June 2009, Green re-signed for Hereford United on a one-year deal ahead of the 2009–10 season. Following their relegation in 2012, Hereford did not offer him a new contract.

Later career In August 2012, Green joined Welsh Premier League club Port Talbot Town.

Green left Port Talbot after one season and in June 2014, he joined Merthyr Town, where he captained the team as they won the Southern League Division One South & West, and promotion to the Premier Division. Following a successful season which resulted in promotion, Green signed for a further season in July 2016.

In September 2018, Green was appointed player-manager of Hereford after the departure of Peter Beadle, overseeing five matches before Marc Richards was appointed as permanent manager on 2 October. In December 2018, Green took a break from playing, but remained at Hereford as a scout.

On 11 July 2019, Green joined Hereford-based Hellenic League Premier Division club Westfields. In July 2020, he renewed his stay with the club for a further year, however two months later it was announced that he was leaving the club due to work commitments.

In July 2023, Green rejoined Westfields, aged 42.

International career Cardiff-born Green made his full international debut against Malta on 3 June 1998, before playing a senior club game. At the age of 17 years and 226 days, he became their youngest international, eclipsing the record of Ryan Giggs. Wales manager Bobby Gould went on to select him for a match against Tunisia, his second and final cap. Giggs himself called the selection of Green a "typical Gould stunt", and wrote in his autobiography that he and Green only had a hometown in common. After being occupied by Gareth Bale, it is currently held by Harry Wilson, who was 16 years and 207 days old on his 2013 debut.

Career statistics Club + Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals

1998–99 First Division

1999–2000 First Division

2000–01 First Division 7 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 11 0

8!!0!!2!!0!!2!!0!!0!!0!!12!!0 Torquay United (loan) 2000–01 First Division

Cardiff City (loan) 2002–03 Second Division

Sheffield Wednesday 2002–03 Football Conference 38 1 1 0

5 0 44 1 2004–05 Conference National 26 1 0 0

3 0 29 1 2005–06 Conference National 26 1 2 0

5 1 33 2

90 3 3 0

13 1 106 4

2006–07 League Two 33 0 2 0 1 0 6 0 42 0 2007–08 League One 12 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 14 0 2008–09 League One 26 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 28 0

71 0 4 0 1 0 8 0 84 0

2009–10 League Two 31 1 1 0 2 0 2 0 36 1 2010–11 League Two 41 1 3 0 1 0 1 0 46 1 2011–12 League Two 28 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 31 0

100 2 5 0 5 0 3 0 113 2

2012–13 Welsh Premier League 29 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 30 1 2013–14 Football League Trophy runner-up: 2006–07

Merthyr Town Southern Football League South & West: 2014–15

Hereford Midland Football League Premier Division: 2015–16 Southern Football League South & West: 2016–17 Midland Football League League Cup: 2015–16 Herefordshire FA County Cup: 2015–16 FA Vase runner-up: 2015–16