Ryan Garry: what it’s like to have your career taken away from you

Please note that since this article was originally published, Ryan has returned to Arsenal as under 13s coach at the Academy.

Imagine being talented enough to play for Arsenal, starting for the first time in the first game of the run of 49 unbeaten games, and then never playing for the club again.

That was the fate of Ryan Garry.  The world must have seemed to be at his feet after appearing in that wonderful 6-1 win against Southampton on 7 May 2003, in which Robert Pirès and Jermaine Pennant got hat tricks.

Ryan was born on 29 September 1983 and had been with Arsenal since 1999, won the youth cup in 2001 and signed professional forms shortly after.

Then he got shin splints, and there was the thought he would never play again.   So he was released in the summer of 2007 and joined Bournemouth six months later following a trial.

That was a happier time and in all he played 76 times for Bournemouth.   But in July 2011 the injury jinx came back to haunt him and he had to give up playing, and moved on to be first team defensive coach and reserves team manager under manager Lee Bradbury.