Mathew Ryan became the third player in history to reach 100 appearances for the Subway Socceroos when he featured against Saudi Arabia this week, after Mark Schwarzer (109) and Tim Cahill (108). He was also the youngest to achieve the feat.
It speaks to the attitude and longevity of the man who has become synonymous with Australian goalkeeping for an entire generation of youngsters.
Let’s take a look down memory lane at our captain's journey to 100 caps in green and gold.
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Early years
Legendary goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer was a mainstay in the Socceroos squad in the late 1990s and 2000s. In the early 2010s, it was clear that he was coming to the end of his career, and the question of which young goalkeeper would succeed him was far from settled.
Maty Ryan was one of the contenders. The youngster was in his second season of professional football with the Central Coast Mariners when he was called up to the senior national team for the first time in February 2012, for a game against Saudi Arabia.
He waited ten months for his debut. It came against Korea DPR on December 5, 2012, in a qualifier for the East Asian Cup. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.
“That evening, putting on that jersey for the first time and having that emblem there - no doubt, a special moment,” he recounted, in the lead-up to his 100th cap this week.
“I remember trying to capture a few photos on my phone, pre- and post-game, thinking, how cool this is, and pinching myself… it's been a journey from there until now.”
FIFA World Cup 2014™
When Schwarzer announced his retirement in November 2013, Ryan suddenly found himself in the frame to be Australia’s starting goalkeeper at the FIFA World Cup 2014.
He started all three games in the Socceroos campaign as they took on the Netherlands, Chile and Spain.
“It’s been really eye-opening and I’ll have to work really hard on my game to improve,” the then-22-year-old reflected after the tournament.
That learning experience fed directly into one of the team’s greatest achievements in their history – the AFC Asian Cup 2015 triumph.
AFC Asian Cup 2015™
Expectations were high when Australia was named to host the Asian Cup in 2015, and Maty Ryan knew that he would be central to the team’s efforts to lift their first Asian continental trophy.
Ryan was in the middle of his final season for Club Brugge in Belgium, which was his first international club after his time in the A-League Men. He was in good form and carried that into the tournament.
Tournament wins are often built off the back of sturdy defences and clean sheets. Australia certainly held to that mantra, only conceding two goals in the lead-up to the showdown against Korea Republic in the Final.
The Socceroos won 2-1 after extra time to become the first Australian team to lift a men’s Asian Cup.
Maty Ryan was named Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament for his efforts.
“People ask me of my fondest memory in football, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have quite a few, but it’s winning that cup,” he reflected, ten years on from the win.
FIFA World Cup 2018™
Ryan was well and truly established as Australia’s first-choice goalkeeper after the Asian Cup triumph.
Australia’s journey to qualify for the World Cup was arduous. Two-legged playoffs against Syria and Honduras were required as the Socceroos broke the record for the longest distance travelled in their qualifying campaign, covering 155,000 miles.
Ryan again started all three games as the Socceroos secured a point against Denmark and came close to taking points off eventual champions France.
FIFA World Cup 2022™
Now an experienced member of the squad, Ryan was named captain for the first time in October 2019 in a 7-1 victory against Chinese Taipei.
He was starting regularly for Brighton & Hove Albion in the English Premier League at this stage and became the second-most capped Socceroos goalkeeper at the same time.
He has since worn the armband 42 times, including during the FIFA World Cup 2022. Australia shocked the world during that tournament, defeating Denmark and Tunisia to make it out of the group, and coming miraculously close to taking their game against eventual champions Argentina in the Round of 16 to extra-time.
Ryan once again started all four games in the tournament.
The Century
Maty Ryan brought up his 100th appearance for the national team when Australia took on Saudi Arabia to secure qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
He celebrated the occasion by making a penalty save and helping the team walk away with all three points.
“It’d be nice if I can work out how to freeze time,” an emotional Ryan said post-match.
“Any cap number that an individual gets is a special one. The jersey and the team and the nation deserves that, whoever it is, taking that opportunity, that they give everything that they’ve got, and try and produce for the nation in that moment.
“That’s my motivation each day, to try and get as many successful moments in this jersey as possible.”
Ryan is still only 33 years of age. As a goalkeeper, that is still incredibly young – his idol Schwarzer retired from the national team at 41.
There is no doubt still plenty of special moments ahead for Maty Ryan and the Socceroos.