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EXCLUSIVE: Ryan Nolan opens up on move to Inter Milan academy and reveals Netflix-inspired Raith Rovers initiation song

Ryan Nolan signed for Raith hours ahead of his debut.
Ryan Nolan signed for Raith hours ahead of his debut.

Raith Rovers defender Ryan Nolan was given a whirlwind start to life at Stark’s Park.

The 23-year-old Irishman – who has had spells as a player in Spain and Italy – made his debut at 3pm a week last Saturday, after completing his move less than 48 hours before.

Speaking to Courier Sport in the sunshine outside a Kirkcaldy hotel, Nolan – mature beyond his years – explains the hectic preparation for his debut.

After Raith Rovers and Northampton Town agreed terms on Wednesday he left Northampton at 1pm the following day on a seven-hour drive.

A medical and signing documents followed before getting “some” sleep and meeting up with his teammates the next day.

Initiation

International clearance to play arrived just before another sizeable trip – this time to Aberdeen to face Cove Rangers.

Nolan made his debut away to Cove Rangers.

“The gaffer told me before the prematch meal that I was going to start,” recalls Nolan.

“He knew what I can do so he wanted to throw me straight in.

“The result didn’t go how we planned, but it was good to get out there and play straight away.”

Adding to the nerves that morning – or perhaps relieving them – was his mandatory induction, for which he decided to stay on brand.

“I sang Bella Ciao, the Italian one from the Netflix Series Money Heist.

“It went down quite well, to be honest.”

Singing in front of teammates, a hectic debut after very little football for two years due to injury, nothing seems to phase the cultured centre-back.

Nomadic upbringing

While itching to be away from hotel life, he has plenty of experience moving around – and from a very young age.

At eight years old Nolan moved to Spain with his parents, who continue to live there to this day.

He is fluent in Spanish and Italian and feels “100% Irish” but we stick to English – with distinct Celtic twangs – for this interview.

Nolan and his brother were immersed in a Spanish public school and the Italian came easily following his move to Milan as he turned 16.

“It was the best thing for me,” he adds. “My parents chucking us into the deep end, basically.”

Spanish trials

Playing with his local side in Spain – still a formidable level – he had youth trials at Villarreal and Valencia and a try-out in a game with Real Madrid.

The answer was always the same: they were impressed and were monitoring his development – from the age of 12 to just before his 16th birthday.

That’s when Inter stepped in, after he caught the eye at an under-18s tournament of provincial sides.

Tough first year in Milan

He found the first year in Italy “very difficult”, only able to see his close family three or four times.

While Nolan has some childhood Irish friends, when he has a break he goes back to Spain, where he considers home.

He took a lot from those experiences at a tender age.

“I was very raw,” he remembers.

“I had a lot of eagerness to get better – I’d train really, really hard, I’d go into hard tackles.

“I was able to improve a lot technically and tactically a lot with the defenders.

Ryan Nolan with his Inter Milan youth teammates.

“A bit of game-management, positioning, a bit of everything, really. So I think it was in Italy where I really developed my game.

“The culture and level was so high that you either you learnt and you got better or you were gone.

“I saw a lot of players at Inter that had loads of talent but they just couldn’t cope with being away from home or loneliness – or whatever you want to call it. It’s sink or swim.”

Nolan retains a similar mindset even now as a Raith Rovers player: “Playing football has been my dream since I was young.

“It doesn’t matter what happens I’m going to keep giving it everything to get back to my best and show what I can do.”

  • Part two of Courier Sport’s interview with Ryan Nolan will be published tomorrow – including a discussion on being on the fringes of the Getafe first team, his 11 months out due to injury and his role in the Raith side. An extended audio interview will be published on Friday.

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