Barnet F.C. have announced the signing of former F.C. Halifax Town defender Ryan Galvin, as per the club’s official website. The 24-year-old will officially join the Bees on the 1st of July.
Galvin’s Career To Date
The left-sided defender was in the Wigan Athletic academy as a youngster but never made a first-team appearance for the Latics.
He moved to Sheffield Wednesday in the summer of 2020 and he made his debut for the Owls in an FA Cup game against Exeter City. The Englishman only made one more appearance for the Yorkshiremen in the 2020/21 season.
Galvin spent the first half of the next campaign on loan at Gloucester City in the National League North, playing 19 games for the non-league side in his first proper stint in men’s football.
After two more cup appearances for Sheffield Wednesday at the start of the 2022/23 season, the defender was loaned to National League side Maidstone United. He impressed in an otherwise poor Maidstone side as his loan was extended from an initial two-month period to one which lasted the vast majority of the season.
The athletic defender made 24 league appearances for the Stones, scoring once and winning the club’s October Player of the Month award.
His impressive performances in a relegated team earned him a move to Halifax Town after he was released by the Owls. Galvin has been a regular for the Shaymen over the past two seasons, making 71 league appearances and helping his side to finish in the playoff positions twice.
Why Have Barnet Signed Him?
The Bees currently have no fit left-footed defenders at the club as Myles Kenlock picked up an injury towards the backend of the season and Ben Coker is set to be released.
This meant there was a clear hole in the Bees’ squad which needed to be filled quickly if they were to have any chance of competing in League Two.
Additionally, Dean Brennan’s system relies on physically excellent players and this is an area where the Irishman thinks his new recruit excels:
“He’s an athletic boy who flies up and down the left-hand side.
He’s extremely dynamic and has good pace and power and we really like his personality.
As a natural left footer, it gives the team a nice balance and gives us a good option down the left-hand side…
He’s hungry, athletic and reads the game really well.”
Writer’s View
In terms of profile, Galvin should be an excellent signing for the North London-based side.
He is an athletic left-footed defender capable of playing in both a back three and a back four and he should not be seen as a Coker replacement, but an upgrade on the veteran left-back.
In his first interview after signing with the Bees, the Englishman highlighted his love for one-on-one situations, both going forward and defensively. This is another attribute that should make him an ideal player for Dean Brennan, who occasionally sets his teams up to go man-for-man across the entire pitch.
The move also allows the left-back, who was born in Kingston upon Thames, to return to the city in which he grew up, which could make him feel more at home both on and off the pitch.
