Ryan is in the Wales squad for the Euro 2020 qualifier against Azerbaijan on Friday and the friendly against Belarus on Monday. He spoke with the Red Matchday editor before he headed off.

“I have joined up with the Welsh squad full of confidence and I want to help the team do well and to make sure we pick up three points from the home qualifier against Azerbaijan then if we do that we can look forward to the friendly against Belarus.

“The three points against Azerbaijan are paramount and in the friendly hopefully we can all get some minutes in the legs.

“I hope I will be coming back to Aberdeen with another two caps.

“I just want to go down and train and do well and try to push my case for being involved on Friday.

“We have a good squad at Wales and every player has something to offer and different qualities.

“It is a really good squad to be part of, lucky I am in it and can hopefully keep myself in the squad. When you look around at the strength and depth that Wales have got now, it is a real achievement to just be in the squad.

“Look at Gareth, Aaron Ramsey, who has dropped out, Harry Wilsou and Dan James, who are playing in the Premiership. You can only learn training next to players like these.

“Obviously they (Bale and Ramsey) are huge names.

“But they’re your teammates, so you can’t be too star-struck by them.

“You need to share a pitch with them. Wales have got a very good group on the whole.

“There are no egos and it doesn’t matter who you’re playing for domestically, everyone’s pulling the same weight internationally to try to achieve the same thing.

“We are all doing well and vying for positions. James has started really well at United so it is good to see quite a few of us going into these two games full of confidence.”

“Working with players like Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey, it can only help me learn and I take things away with me and take it back here. It is a great opportunity that I am looking forward to.

“You can only learn from one of the best players in the world.

“Gareth Bale is the best player I have seen with my eyes in training and played with. He is someone to look up to and aspire to be like. “Off the pitch he is a nice guy. Quite down to earth. A normal guy who just happens to be a very good footballer, one of the best in the world.

“When I was younger I always wanted to emulate Ryan Giggs. He was somebody I wanted to be. So it was quite a surreal experience to meet him and to be called into his first squad was a huge honour.

“Making my debut against Wales was my best moment on a football pitch so far. A great feeling and hopefully there will be many more caps to come. My family were there to see it as well which made it even more special.

“I am really looking forward to meeting up with the squad next week.

“We all want to get to another major championship. It is almost four years now since Wales got to the semi-finals of the European Championship. There is no reason why they can’t have success again.

“One of the main reasons for coming to Aberdeen was to play regularly to keep myself in that Wales squad and it has worked. I have played almost every minute since I have been here. Hopefully that can continue when I return next week and throughout the season.”