Aussie goalkeeper Mathew Ryan to train with Tottenham Hotspur
One of Australia's outstanding young goalkeepers, Mathew Ryan, will spend a week training with English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur next month, his club said on Saturday.
- Agence France-Presse
- Updated: July 14, 2012 07:07 PM IST
One of Australia's outstanding young goalkeepers, Mathew Ryan, will spend a week training with English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur next month, his club said on Saturday.
Tottenham, whose new manager is Andre Villas-Boas, wrote to Ryan's Central Coast Mariners club this week to ask the 20-year-old to train with the north London giants in the lead-up to next month's Premier League campaign.
The Mariners have given the A-League's 2012 Goalkeeper of the Year their blessing to travel to London for the week of training, starting on August 2.
Mariners said no discussions have been held between the two clubs concerning a possible transfer of Ryan, who has a season remaining on his contract with Central Coast.
"It is a magnificent opportunity and experience for Mathew to have a look at a top Premier League club," Mariners chairman Peter Turnbull said.
Turnbull said Ryan's invitation from Tottenham shows the overseas interest in the promising young shot-stopper.
"I think it is reflective of Mathew's standing in the game," he said. "He has stature, he deservedly won a number of awards last season and has already been picked as Mark Schwarzer's understudy for the Socceroos -- he is a guy who is sought after."