Neil Ryan is an English

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

head coach for the England U16s and former player who played as a defender. He played professionally in the United States

USL A-League The USL First Division (USL-1) was a professional men's soccer league in the second tier of the United States league system. It was organized by the United Soccer League as its premier league for men from 1996 to 2010, above the USL Second Di ...

. The son of former footballer Jimmy Ryan, Neil started his early football career playing at Luton Town in 1991 he was a youth team player for two seasons and eventually turned professional in 1994. His professional contract with Luton ended in 1995 and he then moved to the United States and signed with the

Richmond Kickers Richmond Kickers is an American professional soccer club based in Richmond, Virginia. The Kickers compete as a member of USL League One (USL1). The club was established in 1993, and began play that same year as a United States Interregional S ...

of the USISL Select League. He then moved through several teams in succession. In 1998, he signed with the Worcester Wildfire, but also played a few games on loan with the

Cape Cod Crusaders The Cape Cod Crusaders was an American soccer team based in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. Founded in 1994, the team played in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2008, when the franchi ...

of the USISL D-3 Pro League. In the fall of 1998, Ryan moved indoors with the

Wichita Wings The Wichita Wings were a professional indoor soccer franchise based in Wichita, Kansas. The Wings were admitted to the Major Indoor Soccer League as an expansion team on August 21, 1979.

of the National Professional Soccer League. He spent two indoor seasons with the Wings. In 2001, Ryan finished his American career with the

Portland Timbers The Portland Timbers are an American professional Association football, soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The Timbers have p ...

. In November that year, Ryan returned to England and joined Altrincham F.C. of the semi-professional

Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League is an English Association football, football league that was founded in 1968. Together with the Isthmian League and the Southern Football League, Southern League it forms levels seven and eight of the English footba ...

. He made his first appearance on 12 December 2001 in the Northern Premier League Challenge Cup. Ryan left Altrincham in September 2003. In July 2018, after 15 years working through the age groups of U11 to U16 within the Manchester United academy, Ryan was appointed as the head coach of the club's under-18 side. On 13 May 2022, Ryan was appointed a national coach with England men's teams after 19 years at Manchester United. On 16 August 2022, it was confirmed that Ryan would take charge of the England U18s. On 18 August 2023, he moved across to take charge of the England U16s. On 23 August 2024, Ryan took charge of the England U17s

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, Neil Living people 1975 births English men's footballers English expatriate men's footballers National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) players Richmond Kickers players Boston Bulldogs (soccer) players Cape Cod Crusaders players Wichita Wings (NPSL) players Portland Timbers (2001–2010) players Altrincham F.C. players Trafford F.C. players USISL Select League players USL Second Division players A-League (1995–2004) players Men's association football defenders Men's association football midfielders English expatriate sportspeople in the United States Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States English football coaches Footballers from Luton England national football team non-playing staff