On June 3rd, 1998, Ryan Green would make history for Wales. A young, fresh-faced 17-year-old that had yet to play a game for his club warmed up for his country in the Ta’Qali National Stadium, very far from home.
On that day, former Wales manager Bobby Gould put the teenager in the starting line-up to face Malta, a decision which carried real significance.
Green would take the spot of current Wales boss Ryan Giggs to become his country’s youngest ever debutant.
Now at 39 and playing for Westfields FC in the Hellenic League Premier Division, times have certainly changed for Green in what has been a career laced both with adversity and success.
Spells at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Hereford United and Port Talbot Town to name but a few all helped shape the defender’s career.
And it is the dream night in Malta that certainly stands towards the top of the tree when it comes to memories for Green, shaped by two Welsh greats that helped him most in his time on the international stage.
“The first thing I’d like to say is about the two people that standout to me,” Green said.
“Bear in mind I was only 17, so I was only a kid really when I made my debut.
“The two lads that standout are Chris Coleman and Gary Speed, they helped me through everything, made sure I was at home. They really looked after me.
“I’m so glad that Chris has gone on to do brilliantly with Wales, he’s a cracking manager, I’m sure he’ll go on to more coaching jobs in the coming years.”
Despite successfully breaking into the national team, injuries and a managerial change would stall Green’s progress at Wolves, and he would make his way to Hereford United after spells at Millwall and Cardiff City.
Relegation from League Two saw the 39-year-old leave the Edgar Street side and make his way to the Welsh system with Port Talbot some years later.
Although it was at the Lilywhites where Green would find his footballing home, and it is a place that still holds special meaning to him.
“Hereford is a club in my heart,” Green continues.
“I’ve had 10 seasons there, 11 in the Hereford area with Westfields now, but Hereford Football Club is the one in my heart.
“The fans, the city, everything there has been unbelievable really. I owe them a lot and I hope the people of Hereford appreciate it.
“They were relegated from League Two, they had a new manager, Martin Foyle, who didn’t even bother to call me to say he wasn’t keeping me on but that’s another story.
“Mark Jones contacted me about Port Talbot Town. So, Port Talbot wasn’t too far from Cardiff, it was a decent offer and I signed there.
“The first season wasn’t too bad, we got to the play-off final and I think we lost in the last minute to Bala which was unfortunate as it was a good first season.
“In the second season we really underachieved as a team, for myself and I think some of the other players we let our manager Scott Young down.
“I think we finished just above the relegation zone and I didn’t enjoy it, I signed for Merthyr after that which got my enjoyment back for football. I got my love of the game back.”
Green’s father, Phil, was a centre-forward for the Martyrs when the side played at Conference level, and the former striker helped to convince Green to join the club.
It was a move that paid dividends for both the father-son duo and the club.
The two-time Welsh international helped guide Merthyr to promotion in his first season, whilst simultaneously rejuvenating his love for the game.
“My dad, like me for Hereford, Merthyr is his favourite club that he’s been at,” Green says.
“He’s got nothing but love for the club. Whenever he goes there, everyone knows who he is still. They really love him there, he told me I’d enjoy it, which I did.
“It was close to him and close to myself. He enjoyed coming to watch, it allowed us to see faces I haven’t seen for years.
“It was good for the both of us to be honest, and it turned out to be good for the club because we got promoted straightaway, whereas in previous years I think they got to the play-offs then lost.
“But that season we got promoted and were about 14 or 15 points clear, it was a brilliant season.
“There was a good brand of football, good coaches and brilliant people at the club, I’ve got nothing but good things to say about Merthyr.
“The pitch is excellent, I really enjoyed that time and it got my love back for the game, and if it wasn’t for Hereford I’d probably still be there.
“Hereford reformed and when Hereford comes calling, it’s the club in my heart and there was no looking back.”
Whilst Green now plays for Westfields FC, he also runs 1-to-1 coaching sessions for people around Hereford and is looking to expand to Cardiff once the pandemic clears.
After previously saying he wanted to continue playing until he was 40, the defender is taking each year as it comes for now.
“We’ll see how the legs are!” he laughs. “I’ve still got one more season left in me, we’ll see when the pandemic is over with and things start up again.
“I take each year as it comes, I’m not getting any quicker! So, we’ll see!”
(Featured image: Will Cheshire)
John Steele
I’ve been following Hereford United / Hereford for the last 15 years attending their home and away games from my home in Chester and Ryan has always stood out as an exceptional defender. When the club reformed Ryan along with Rob Purdie in my opinion are the main reason the club has managed to progress so far in such a short space of time. I would give anything for a young Ryan Green to be part of the current Hereford team who have never been the same without his presence at the club and I think he was unfortunate to spend his final season at the club having to play in a team that were nowhere near his standard.
He remained loyal to the club throughout the turmoil of the final years of Hereford United and I was over the moon when Peter Beadle managed to re-sign him for the reformed club and he always gave 100%. At the end of each season it was always a relief that a club from a higher league didn’t obtain his signature.