Australia’s most-capped goalkeeper and Socceroos leader Maty Ryan has sat down for his first interview post the team’s exit from the FIFA World Cup, speaking with Olan Tekkers on iHeart‘s The Failed Footballer podcast.

Ryan shares how it felt to be unexpectedly called upon to replace Patrick Beach moments before a do-or-die penalty shootout against Egypt and having a gut feeling it might happen:

“It wasn’t until pretty much extra time got underway. The strength and conditioning coach came up to us and told me and Paul Izzo to go and warm up. That never happens. Then the goalkeeper coach said, ‘If we have one sub left at the end of the game, be ready because you’re going in.’”

“Five minutes before it happened, they were like, ‘You’re ready, you’re good.’”

Despite the heartbreak of the result, Ryan said he would do it again.

“I would 100 per cent be jumping at the chance to go and be in that scenario again.”

Maty and Olan also discuss Maty’s belief that Australia’s greatest strength remains the team’s unity and mentality and his ambition to continue playing for the Socceroos through to the 2030 World Cup.

He said of watching the early games from the sideline:

“Of course I was hurting at the time by not playing. I believed I could have helped the team. But I’ve always preached that the playing group needs to stay together.”

Hosted by former footballer and content creator Olan Tekkers, The Failed Footballer covers the stories, insights and conversations football fans are searching for. From exclusive interviews with players and coaches to the biggest talking points in the game, it’s become a go-to podcast for both hardcore football supporters and casual fans alike.

The Maty Ryan episode is available now on The Failed Footballer via ARN’s free iHeart app or wherever you get your podcasts.