Former Portsmouth, Millwall, and Luton midfielder Ryan Tunnicliffe has made an unexpected revelation as he settles in at Adelaide United. The 30-year-old, who has had a 12-year career in senior English football playing for nine different clubs, disclosed that he’s facing a unique situation at his new club.
He mentioned that there’s a strong desire within Adelaide United to win the A-League this season, which is a level of pressure he has never encountered at any of his previous teams.
Throughout his career, Tunnicliffe has had stints with various clubs, spending most of his time in the Championship. However, his highest league position was a fifth-place finish with Wigan during the 2013-14 season, during which he only made five appearances over a two-month loan period.
Even during his time with Portsmouth in League One, the team achieved 10th and eighth-place finishes in different seasons, but he never experienced an expectation to top the league, which is a new challenge for him at Adelaide United.
In preparation for Adelaide’s upcoming match against Melbourne Victory, Tunnicliffe expressed his thoughts, saying, “We’ve had a good start to the season, and it’s a different experience for me. It’s probably the first time in my career that the manager has set the goal of winning the league this year and putting that pressure on us, trying to secure the top spot in a top division.”
Although Tunnicliffe has played in each of Adelaide’s first three games in the 2023-24 A-League season, he has yet to start a game. However, he emphasized that he’s gradually improving his fitness by training with the team and participating in three pre-season games. He is patiently waiting for his opportunity to play a full 90 minutes when it comes.
Adelaide, the 2016 A-League champions, will face Sydney FC in their next match on Saturday.
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