Ryan hoping to bring back past

May 3 2009 by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun

LEON Ryan is hoping that his experience of the big occasion can help Whitley Bay at Wembley next Sunday.

The Wearsider helped Hetton Lyons lift the FA Sunday Cup at Anfield last season in a 3-2 win over Coundon Conservative and is hoping that can rub off in the FA Vase.

Ryan also rubbed shoulders with the likes of ex-Lazio and World Cup ace Alen Boksic, Gareth Southgate and Paul Ince during his time as a kid at Middlesbrough before stints at Scunthorpe, Halifax Town and Durham City.

The cool and composed Bay centre-back looks every bit the professional on and off the field the play.

Now he hopes that can work in Bay’s favour, saying: “I’d like to think my experience can be a help. I am one of the older ones in the side.

“I’ve played in the Sunday Cup at places like Anfield and it is all a great experience. So I like to think if anyone can draw some experience from me or Paul Chow or Terry Burke then we are here.

“To be honest most of the young boys don’t need it and they can also keep us right.

“We’ve got a great mix of ages and characters in the squad.”

Anfield is one thing though and Wembley is another, as Ryan explains: “It’s surreal to be going to Wembley.

“When you look at the level of football we play and look at the teams that have played on that Wembley pitch it’s amazing. We just want to go down there and do ourselves justice.

“If we don’t win the game it means we haven’t played to our strengths.

“But I’m more than confident we can go there and win.”

Ryan was responsible for taking Whitley to Wembley after the former striker headed home the crucial equaliser in the second leg at Lowestoft that meant Bay won 3-2 on aggregate.

He says: “I can’t wait. It has come round so quickly. Everything has been great in the build-up.

“Getting fitted up for suits and getting the new kits has been fantastic for all of us.

“In a way I just want the game to be over. It was similar in the game against Lowestoft in the semis.

“There is a lot of talk on the build-up to these games, both teams talking about their chances. But you want to do it on the pitch.

“Personally I just want the game to be over and be sitting in the house knowing we have won the FA Vase.”