football transfer update :Maty Ryan signs with Levante

Subway Socceroos captain Maty Ryan has a new home, agreeing to join newly promoted La Liga outfit Levante as a free agent.

Ryan has signed for the 2025/26 season with an option for a second year, returning to the Spanish top-flight having experienced spells with cross-town rivals Valencia CF as well as Real Sociedad.

The 33-year-old had been unattached following the conclusion of his sixth-month contract with RC Lens in Ligue 1 where he arrived from AS Roma. At Lens he kept six clean sheets in 14 matches.

He is now hoping his latest move will provide the best chance of regular playing time ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™.

Levante will be Ryan’s 11th European club since leaving the Central Coast Mariners in 2013 which has seen him ply his trade in Belgium, Spain, England, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy and France.

Ryan won his 100th cap for his country last time out against Saudi Arabia during the June FIFA Window, as the Aussies qualified for sixth consecutive FIFA World Cup and seventh overall.

He is just the third Socceroo after Mark Schwarzer and Tim Cahill, and the youngest to achieve the milestone.

Ryan, alongside Mathew Leckie, is the only Socceroo to have accumulated 10 appearances at the FIFA World Cup, having played every available match at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 iterations of the tournament, and will be aiming to cement his spot as Levante’s new number in the hope of going to a fourth major tournament.

The goalkeeper could make his debut for the Frogs, who have started the new campaign with successive defeats, away to Elche on Saturday at 3:30am AEST.

In doing so, he will become the first Australian to represent the Valencia-based club.