Ryan's first role was portraying a cobbler as an extra in his own Shoe Repair shop however this role later developed into a supporting cast member.
Ryan is well known for taking a variety of stunt falls sometimes even taking other characters stunts when their face is not shown.
In 2010 Ryan provided football commentary on some of the World Cup matches for local radio station 99.2 Hermitage FM, his last radio appearance was with Leicester City legend Alan Young in October 2014.