Mat Ryan will remain in Australia for the time being after the Central Coast Mariners goalkeeper cancelled his Rangers trial.
Mat Ryan will remain in Australia for the time being after the Central Coast Mariners goalkeeper cancelled his Rangers trial.
After a shoulder injury delayed Ryan’s initial trial, the 20-year-old ‘keeper was finally set to depart for Glasgow on Monday, when he would be put through his paces by manager Ally McCoist at the third division club.
Ryan, who has already earned two Socceroos caps, was expected to miss the Mariners’ encounter against the Newcastle Jets at Bluetongue Stadium on January 19.
But with Rangers considering a move away from Scottish football following a proposal to reconstruct the leagues, Ryan will stick with the Mariners – according to general manager Lawrie McKinna.
“Mat Ryan will not be going to Rangers on Monday,” McKinna said via his Twitter account on Friday.
“(His) reason for not going on trial next week was that he wanted to know what league they will play and they won’t know yet.”
Rangers are 17 points clear atop of the third division after 19 games but could leave the association with clubs set to vote on a plan to revamp Scottish football, which would see 12 teams competing across the top two divisions and 18 in the third tier.
However, the 54-time Scottish league champions are against the proposal, with chief executive Charles Green threatening to withdraw the club if the reconstruction plans are approved.
“If that’s what we have sat here eagerly awaiting, my advice is the quicker we can leave Scottish football the better,” Green told the club’s website on Wednesday.
“I can’t see anything that is going to transform the finances, the status or the excitement.
“If this does happen, what is the point of us finishing the season?”