 Flynn playing forSheffield United in 2013 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ryan Flynn[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1988-09-04)4 September 1988 (age 37)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.71 m)[3] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Arbroath | ||
| Number | 20 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Falkirk | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005–2009 | Liverpool | 0 | (0) |
| 2007 | →Hereford United (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | →Wrexham (loan) | 27 | (4) |
| 2009–2011 | Falkirk | 69 | (10) |
| 2011–2016 | Sheffield United | 153 | (13) |
| 2016–2018 | Oldham Athletic | 44 | (1) |
| 2018–2024 | St Mirren | 176 | (2) |
| 2024– | Arbroath | 17 | (50) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2007–2009 | Scotland U19 | 3 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21 December 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 06:38, 15 July 2011 (UTC) | |||
Ryan Flynn (born 4 September 1988) is aScottishfootballer who plays as amidfielder forScottish Championship clubArbroath. Born inEdinburgh, he started his career withLiverpool before spells atWrexham,Falkirk,Sheffield United andOldham Athletic. He has also represented Scotland atunder-19 level.
Flynn began his career as a junior player withFalkirk, but signed for Liverpool in 2005 for £50,000.[4] Flynn helped Liverpool win successive FA Youth Cup victories in the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons, scoring the winner in front of the Kop againstManchester City in the 2006 final and scoring in the penalty shoot-out at Old Trafford (Stretford End) againstManchester United in the 2007 final.[5] In his third season at the club, he helped them win the Northern Premier Reserve League Title, in the 2007–08 season.[5] In November 2007, Flynn joinedLeague Two clubHereford United on a month's loan, although failed to make an appearance.[6] Flynn was loaned toConference National clubWrexham for the latter part of the 2008–09 season.[5] In all, Flynn scored four goals in 25 league appearances for Wrexham.[5]
Flynn was then loaned back to his first club, Falkirk, for the2009–10 season.[5] He made his Falkirk début in aUEFA Europa League tie againstFC Vaduz, and Flynn scored the only goal of the game, becoming the first Falkirk player to score a goal in European competition.[7] In mid September it was announced that his move had been made permanent and he signed a three-year contract with Falkirk.[8] Flynn won theScottish Premier League award for Young Player of the Month for March 2010, having scored six goals in 33 games for Falkirk. He also won the Young Player of the Round award in the second round of the2010–11 Scottish League Cup, in which he scored the only goal to put Falkirk through againstPartick Thistle In the third round of the same cup he was part of the Falkirk team that were voted 'Team of the round', a game in which he scored the third goal againstHearts and which ended up 4–3 to Falkirk.[8]
On 14 July 2011, Flynn signed forSheffield United for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal[9] and made his competitive club début on the first day of the 2011–12 season, starting theFootball League match againstOldham Athletic.[10] During his first season atBramall Lane Flynn established himself as first team player despite competing with the likes of Republic of Ireland InternationalStephen Quinn for a place in the starting eleven. He finished the campaign having made thirty five appearances and scored three goals. This campaign ended with United finishing 3rd in League One and making the Play Off final. Flynn started in this game as United lost on penalties to Huddersfield at Wembley.
In season 2012–13 Flynn appeared 44 times for the Blades scoring three goals as the side again made the play offs in League One. In 2013–14 Sheffield United embarked on a memorable FA Cup campaign which culminated in them reaching the Semi-Final at Wembley in which they lost 5–3 to Hull City. Flynn starred for the side throughout the campaign, scoring the winning goal against Premier League side Aston Villa at Villa Park and also scoring as they beat Championship side Charlton.
In May 2014, Flynn signed an extension to his contract for a further two-year with the option of a third year.[11]
In 2014–15 Flynn and Sheffield United went on another famous cup run, this time making the semi-final of the League Cup. They beat West Ham at Upton Park as well as Southampton at Bramall Lane en route to the Semi Final where they met Spurs and lost narrowly 3–2 on aggregate. Flynn showed his versatility by starting both games against Spurs at right back and performing impressively. The season ended once more with United making the League One Play Offs only to lose to Swindon Town 7–6 on aggregate.
On 13 July 2016, Flynn signed a two-year deal withLeague One side Oldham Athletic.[12] He scored his first goal for Oldham in a 2–1EFL Cup win againstWigan Athletic on 9 August 2016.[13] He was released by Oldham in January 2018.
On 15 January 2018, Flynn joinedSt Mirren on a two-and-a-half-year deal and helped the club secure the Scottish Championship title and promotion in May 2018.[14][15] Season 2018-19 saw St Mirren, with Flynn as a key player, stay in the Premier League thanks to a memorable end of season run and win over Dundee United in the Premiership Play off.
Flynn suffered cruciate ligament damage on 5 February 2020 in a match againstHamilton Academicals, which effectively ended his season.[16]
Flynn signed a new one-year contract in June 2020, after becoming an integral part of the Saints squad and a firm fans favourite.[17] Flynn's contract was extended for a further year in 2021 after a successful return to full fitness in November 2020. In November 2021, Flynn played his 100th game for St Mirren and was praised by Manager Jim Goodwin for being a real model professional who could play in a number of positions and always perform.
Following Goodwin's departure, Flynn has become a key part of Stephen Robinson's squad. The pair worked together at Oldham and has led to Flynn taking the first steps towards coaching while playing his part for a St Mirren side which secured a top 6 place in 2022–23. Flynn's versatility and experience remained a key component in the St Mirren squad.
On 30 August 2024, Flynn signed withArbroath in the third-tierScottish League One.[18]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Liverpool | 2005–06 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hereford United (loan) | 2007–08 | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wrexham (loan) | 2008–09 | Conference Premier | 25 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2[a] | 0 | 27 | 4 |
| Liverpool | 2009–10 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Falkirk (loan) | 2009–10[19] | Scottish Premier League | 36 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[b] | 1 | 39 | 6 |
| Falkirk | 2010–11[20] | 33 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 7 | |
| Total | 69 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 77 | 17 | ||
| Sheffield United | 2011–12[21] | League One | 26 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5[c] | 0 | 35 | 3 |
| 2012–13[22] | 36 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[d] | 0 | 44 | 3 | ||
| 2013–14[23] | 32 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 42 | 7 | ||
| 2014–15[24] | 32 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3[f] | 0 | 45 | 3 | ||
| 2015–16[25] | 27 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[e] | 1 | 29 | 3 | ||
| Total | 153 | 13 | 21 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 195 | 19 | ||
| Oldham Athletic | 2016–17[26] | League One | 37 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5[g] | 0 | 44 | 3 |
| 2017–18[27] | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
| Total | 44 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 54 | 3 | ||
| St Mirren | 2017–18[28] | Scottish Championship | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 1 | ||
| 2018–19[29] | Scottish Premiership | 26 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1[h] | 0 | 33 | 1 | |
| 2019–20[30] | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21[31] | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22[31] | 23 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| Total | 124 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 146 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 415 | 30 | 35 | 6 | 25 | 3 | 24 | 2 | 499 | 41 | ||
