Ryan and his Olyroos teammates booked their spot at the 2020 Olympics when they defeated Uzbekistan 1-0 in the third versus fourth playoff at the AFC Under 23s Championships in Thailand on January 25.

The defender, 19, told the Mercury that it had felt surreal for a couple of days, but he was now ready to knuckle down ahead of Tokyo 2020.

"We went there with one job and that was to qualify for the Olympics, and we ticked that box," Ryan said.

"For the first two or three days, I was speechless - I couldn't come down from the moon. I think it's been 12 years since we had a football team in the Olympics. It was the best feeling to create that history again and that's the furthest we've ever gone in an AFC under 23s tournament. It's the biggest thing I've ever achieved in football and I'm sure it is the same for all the other lads as well.

"As a team, we grew after every performance. We knew much it meant to us and we just went for it. I've played with a few of the lads since the age of 10. And I got to know the other lads by name and met them during the trip. We got to know each other in Malaysia [for warm up games] and at previous camps in Qatar and China, which really helped as a team to tick all of the boxes.

"Ever since I can remember, I've always wanted to go to the Olympics and World Cup. But we still have to work hard as individuals to get our spot at the Olympics - not a lot of players can go. It's an 18-man squad. These next few months, I have to keep fit, match fit, and play well and train well. People are watching all the time. I've got to keep my head high and don't slow down, not yet."

Ryan is contracted to Eredivisie side Willem II Tilburg and he returned to The Netherlands last week.

He is eyeing off a spot in the top team, but was back on field for the second division side on Monday.

"When I walked back in to the club, everyone had smiles on their faces. They came up to me and congratulated me," Ryan said.

"It was to great see everyone happy and positive about what had just happened. I had an easy couple of days getting back into it.

"I played every match, every second [in the tournament] so my body needed time to recover."

Ryan will continue to train and play for Willem II over the coming months. He isn't sure when the Olyroos go back into camp, but Ryan knows that coach Graham Arnold will have a plan.

"I'm sure Graham has some things lined up for us to keep that spirit high and to train, have a few matches and get everyone involved again," the teenager said.

"Graham's a great mentor, he's all about belief. I think he really carried us over the line with the last couple of games [at the championships]. He's a great role model and has a lot of experience. He's worked with some of the best Socceroos we've ever had and he's all about belief - that's his big word."