Jimmy Ryan awaits decision on his Blackpool future

Jimmy Ryan finally made his first appearance of the season on the closing day

End of fans' boycott the success story of year for Blackpool FC

It’s been a nightmare campaign for the 30-year-old, whose only action came in the second half of Saturday’s final-day defeat by Gillingham.

Ryan has been plagued by a knee injury that kept him out for 12 months but he insists he’s now fit and ready to go again next season – and preferably with the Seasiders.

“The gaffer has a meeting on Tuesday and he said he’s going to let me know then,” Ryan said.

“I was going to find out last week but he didn’t have an answer.

“But the ball is in their court really. There’s not much I can do.

“I’ve just got to wait and see if the phone rings and go from there.

“I would love to stay. I was going to say I’ve had a good two years but I’ve had a good one year and a frustrating second one.

“But I feel like I’ve got a lot to offer the team when I’m back fit, and with a good pre-season under my belt I will be the same player I was.

“I’d like to think I proved in the 45 minutes on Saturday that I can get back to where I was.

“I’ve just got to wait but it’s up to them. If they say goodbye, then I won’t hold any grudges.

“I’ll understand, move on and see what else is happening.

“There’s nothing that says I won’t stay. I’ve said that from day one. It 100 per cent isn’t in my hands.

“Sometimes you leave clubs. I left Fleetwood and you hear stories but it’s never what you hear.

“I’ve just got to wait and see on Tuesday. I will get my answer, then I’ll take it from there.

“But hopefully he comes back to me on Tuesday and I’m still a Blackpool player, which I would like.”

When asked if he’d like to keep Ryan at the club next season, manager McPhillips said: “Of course.

“Jimmy is a terrific footballer and everyone knows that. He’s club captain and he’s a really popular member of the squad.

“The lads look up to him and he can do things all the other players can’t.

“I’ve known him a long time and I have a lot of respect for him as a person.

“I’ve always rated him highly as a player. He went to the same school as my kids, although he was a bit older!

“We’ve had banter over the years. When I worked for Crewe he was in the youth sides at Liverpool and we used to play against them quite a bit.

“He really was a real star player coming through at Liverpool and he’s now shown the fans some glimpses of what he can do.”