ACCRINGTON Stanley midfielder Jimmy Ryan is enjoying the learning curve he has been climbing since seeing his Liverpool dream ended.

Ryan spent 11 years at Anfield and twice helped the Reds win the FA Youth Cup.

But after being told he wouldn’t make the grade with the Premier League giants, the 20-year-old has successfully re-launched his career in the more humble surroundings of League Two.

“It was hard to leave but I thought it was best to move on,” said Ryan.

“I had a year left on my contract but with so many foreign players coming in I didn’t think I would get a sniff.

“There were a few of us with a year or two left and the reserve manager said we would not be getting enough games and when he said that I thought it would be better to try and go somewhere where I could get games.

“It was a tough decision but I needed to put my career first and I think I have learned more than if I had stayed and had another year of reserve-team football. It’s been the best thing for me.

“My aim now is to play as many matches as I can and hopefully get better through that experience.”

Ryan’s first port of call after leaving Liverpool was Shrewsbury after being signed last season by former Preston boss Gary Peters.

A loan spell turned into a permanent move and the Merseysider made half-a-dozen appearances for the Shrews under Peters and successor Paul Simpson before the summer triggered another change of scene.

“It wasn’t the right time at Shrewsbury. There were a lot of changes going on and they had a new manager and new players so I thought it was best for me to get off,” added Ryan, who was delighted to end up 35 minutes from home at the Fraser Eagle Stadium following a chance meeting in Cuba.

“It was a worry that I might not get a club because there is so much competition but I always believed I was good enough to get a contract somewhere.

“My agent said there were a few clubs I could have gone to on trial and then my mum and dad bumped into Jimmy (Bell) on holiday and he said Accrington would like to have a look at me.

“I thought I would go there first. I liked it there straight away and thankfully they liked me as well and I have settled in very well.”

Ryan has since been a regular in Stanley’s midfield, apart from when missing on international duty with the Republic of Ireland U21 squad.

He has enjoyed that experience after previously serving the Irish at various youth levels, as well as the opportunity to allow his talent to flourish with Stanley.

Ryan has already wracked up his first two senior goals, including a last-minute leveller against Notts County last Saturday, but insists the best is still to come from him and John Coleman’s team as they look to mount a play-off challenge.

He said: “I have been happy with my last three games and getting two goals but there is more to come.

"The end product has not been as good as it should be but that’s something I am working on.

“To be honest we are a bit disappointed that we haven’t won the games we think we should have.

"We seem to have played well for a half, rather than the full 90 minutes.

“But we have got some good players here and I think if we can be a bit more consistent we could be in with a shout.”