Ryan Maxwell (born 18 May 1993) is an Irish football manager and former semi-professional footballer who is currently manager of Sittingbourne.

Ryan Maxwell
Personal information
Full name Ryan Maxwell
Date of birth (1984-05-18) 18 May 1984 (age 40)
Place of birth Belfast, Northern Ireland
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Sittingbourne
(manager)
Youth career
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
2001–2002 Reading
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2003 Grays Athletic 11 (0)
2003 Purfleet 13 (0)
2003 Hamilton Academical 2 (0)
2004–2005 Raith Rovers 5 (0)
2005 Dagenham & Redbridge 0 (0)
2005 Redbridge 6 (0)
2005 Gravesend & Northfleet 0 (0)
2005Basingstoke Town (loan) 2 (0)
2005 Margate 2 (0)
2005–2006 Bishop's Stortford
2006 Llanelli 0 (0)
2006–2007 Tonbridge Angels 22 (1)
2007 Braintree Town 3 (0)
2007 Billericay Town 2 (0)
2007–2008 Welling United
2008 Wivenhoe Town 2 (0)
2008 Boreham Wood 6 (0)
2008–2009 Larne
2009 Stansted
2009 St Albans City 1 (0)
2010 Harlow Town 10 (0)
2010–2011 Waltham Abbey 28 (1)
2011–2012 Harlow Town 21 (0)
2012–2013 Whyteleafe 31 (5)
2013–2014 Grays Athletic 3 (0)
2014 Heybridge Swifts
2014 AFC Sudbury
2014–2015 Witham Town 0 (0)
2015 Heybridge Swifts 0 (0)
2015 Ware 11 (0)
2015–2016 Heybridge Swifts
2016–2017 Waltham Forest
2017 Ware 2 (0)
2018–2020 Walthamstow
International career
Northern Ireland U16
Northern Ireland U21
Managerial career
2018–2020 Walthamstow (player-manager)
2020–2022 Braintree Town
2023– Sittingbourne
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:00, 26 May 2016 (UTC)

Maxwell previously played in the Scottish Football League for Hamilton Academical and Raith Rovers as well as a number of non-League football teams in England. He has also represented the Northern Ireland national under-21 football team.

Club career

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Maxwell began his career as a youth player at Chelsea before moving onto Crystal Palace and Reading in 1999.[1] He went on to join Isthmian League Premier Division club Grays Athletic in 2002.[1]

In 2003, he joined Scottish club Hamilton Academical making three appearances, two in the Scottish Second Division and one in the Scottish League Cup.[2] The following season, 2004–05, he joined Raith Rovers in the Scottish First Division.[3][4] He was released by mutual consent in January 2005 by manager Gordon Dalziel.[3]

Following his release from Raith, Maxwell subsequently joined Conference National club Dagenham & Redbridge.[5] Failing to make an appearance for the Daggers, he went on to join Redbridge, and then joined Conference South outfit Basingstoke Town in August 2005.[6] However, he made just two league appearances in August before he departed, and eventually joined Margate in October.[7]

In January 2006, Maxwell joined Bishop's Stortford on loan from Gravesend & Northfleet, making his début in the 3–1 away loss against Weymouth on 5 January.[8] He signed for Welsh Premier League club Llanelli in the close season of 2006,[9] featuring in their UEFA Cup qualifying ties. In the first leg of the first round of qualifying on 13 July against Swedish club Gefle IF, he came on as a 90th minute substitute for Craig Williams in the 1–2 away win.[10] In the second leg on 27 July, Maxwell started the match before being substituted in injury time for Richard Appleby. The game finished 0–0, meaning Llanelli qualified 2–1 on aggregate.[11] Llanelli were beaten 6–1 on aggregate in the second qualifying round by Danish club Odense BK. Maxwell received interest from Hartlepool but decided not to go on trial for family reasons.

Maxwell joined Isthmian League Premier Division club Tonbridge Angels in October 2010,[12][13] before going on to join a number of non-League clubs including Braintree Town and Boreham Wood through 2006 to 2007.[1] He then joined Northern Irish club Larne, before returning to England with Welling United .[14] Having trialled for St Albans City in the 2009–10 pre-season, he eventually signed for the Conference South club in September 2009.[15] He made just two appearances for the Saints,[16] both coming on as a substitute. His début was in the 1–0 away defeat to Heybridge Swifts in the FA Cup second round qualifying on 26 September, replacing Godfrey Poku in the 46th minute.[17]

Maxwell went on to play for Waltham Abbey, prior to signing for Harlow Town in October 2011,[18] before leaving at the end of the season in July 2012.[19] At the start of the 2012–13 season, Maxwell re-joined Grays Athletic in the Isthmian League Division One North alongside three other players.[20]

He rejoined Grays again at the start of the 2013–14 season as a player-coach. In March 2014 he left and went to Heybridge Swifts, and at the start of June 2014 he signed for A.F.C. Sudbury.[21]

He became the A.F.C. Sudbury fitness coach and played also until the middle of October 2014. His contract was terminated on 8 November and on 20 November he signed for Witham Town. He did not make many appearances at the Spa Road club during the 2014–15 season, but featured on the bench against Tonbridge Angels amongst others.[22] On the eve of the 2015–16 season, 7 August 2015 he had re-joined one of his former clubs, Heybridge Swifts. Ware announced he had joined them on 4 August 2015 and he was still there in October 2015, however on 5 December he was back playing for Heybridge Swifts.[23]

In January 2017 he left his position as a player-coach at Waltham Forest, alongside manager Kem Kemal.[24][25] Later that year he joined Ware for his second spell, but left again in December 2017 as Kem Kamal was replaced by Craig Edwards as the manager.[26]

Managerial career

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Yet another managerial change at Waltham Forest, later to be renamed to Walthamstow, saw Maxwell replace Qayum Shakoor for the position in February 2018.[27][28] He also registered as a player.[29] On 23 January 2020, Maxwell left Walthamstow after a mutual decision with the club to part ways.

On 18 November 2020, Maxwell was appointed Braintree Town manager.[30] He was awarded the National League South Manager of the Month award for February 2022 having led his side away from the relegation zone with a seven-game unbeaten run.[31] Following an 18-month spell with the Essex-based side in which he maintained their status as a National League South side for a second successive season, Maxwell opted to leave the club in May 2022 at the end of his contract.[32]

In January 2023, Maxwell was appointed manager of Sittingbourne, as well as the club's director of football.[33]

Managerial statistics

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As of match played 7 May 2022
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record Ref
P W D L Win %
Walthamstow 6 February 2018 23 January 2020 50 23 13 14 046.0 [34]
Braintree Town 18 November 2020 11 May 2022 53 16 13 24 030.2 [35]
Total 103 39 26 38 037.9

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Ryan Maxwell profile". Aylesbury United F.C. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  2. ^ "Games played by Ryan Maxwell in 2003/2004". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Maxwell next to receive Raith axe". BBC Sport. 11 January 2005. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  4. ^ "Division One January transfers". BBC Sport. 1 February 2005. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  5. ^ "Maxwell becomes a Dagger". Non-League Daily. 31 January 2005. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  6. ^ "Ryan Maxwell". Basingstoke Town F.C. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  7. ^ "Team news". Margate F.C. 18 November 2005. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  8. ^ "Leaders too strong for Blues". Herts & Essex Observer. 18 November 2005. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  9. ^ "Welsh Premier career details for Ryan Maxwell". Welsh Premier Football. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  10. ^ "UEFA Europa League 2006/07 – History – Gefle-Llanelli". UEFA. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  11. ^ "UEFA Europa League 2006/07 – History – Llanelli-Gefle". UEFA. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  12. ^ "Maxwell joins Angels". Non-League Daily. 12 October 2006. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  13. ^ "Merthyr and Newport away in Cup". BBC Sport. 11 January 2005. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  14. ^ "Now Maxwell becomes a Dragon". Non-League Daily. 15 March 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  15. ^ "Maxwell signs for Saints". Non-League Daily. 17 September 2009. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  16. ^ "Statistics:St Albans City – Ryan Maxwell". St Albans City F.C. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  17. ^ "Heybridge Swifts 1 – 0 St Albans City". St Albans City F.C. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  18. ^ "Harlow and Abbey trade players". Non-League Daily. 16 October 2010. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  19. ^ "Maxwell goes, Bossu stays at Harlow". Non-League Daily. 22 July 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  20. ^ "Player news – Four more Blues". Grays Athletic F.C. 2 August 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  21. ^ Lowestoft promotion-winning top scorer among AFC Sudbury signings Suffolk Free Press, 12 June 2014
  22. ^ "Tonbridge Angels FC vs Witham Town FC 11.04.15 Office Match Programme". Tonbridge Angels FC. 11 April 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  23. ^ "A To Z The Men of AFC Sudbury". A.F.C. Sudbury Official Webpage. 27 April 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  24. ^ "Kemal acts quickly to sign Maxwell". Waltham Forest FC. 26 May 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  25. ^ "Club statement: Kemal departs as first team manager". Waltham Forest FC. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  26. ^ "First squad changes announced". Ware FC. 14 December 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  27. ^ "Sporting Bengal United boss Gazi wants his side to keep plugging away". The Docklands & East London Advertiser. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  28. ^ "Sporting Bengal United boss Gazi keen to add a striker". The Docklands & East London Advertiser. 13 February 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  29. ^ "Essex Senior League: Barkingside held as Ilford suffer loss". Ilford Recorder. 22 February 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  30. ^ "Braintree Town confirm Maxwell as manager". Non League Daily. 18 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  31. ^ "Here's Your February National League South Award Winners!". thenationalleague.org.uk. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  32. ^ "Maxwell Goes at Braintree As Club Start Search For New Boss". National League (division). 11 May 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  33. ^ "Sittingbourne appoint ex-Braintree Town boss Ryan Maxwell as their new manager and director of football". Kent Online. 8 January 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  34. ^ "Manager History". Walthamstow F.C. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  35. ^ "England - Braintree Town FC - Results and fixtures". Soccerway. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
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