Mathew Ryan is determined to make it in the Premier League second time around.

And he might just get a reminder of that if he glances to the substitutes’ benches at Vicarage Road on Saturday.

Ryan starts his second season as Seagulls No.1 happy he has made progress since his debut at home to Manchester City a year ago.

He has certainly come a long way since he first tried his luck on these shores on trial at Tottenham.

Ryan received a reminder of that adventure when he returned to the training ground this summer after the World Cup and got chatting to new colleague David Button.

They both realised they had worked together under the guidance of Spurs coach Tony Parks when Ryan came over from Australia for a trial.

Heurelho Gomes was one of the senior goalkeepers Ryan looked up to at Tottenham back then.

The Brazilian has since moved on to Watford and is likely to be on the bench on Saturday after the Hornets signed Ben Foster from West Brom this summer.

The Argus:

Mathew Ryan and David Button are working together again - as they did briefly at Spurs

It has been a long route to life as a first-choice in the Premier League. But Ryan has made it.

He told The Argus: “I had a trial for a couple of weeks, I think it must have been six years ago now, with Tottenham and David was there at the time, “When we saw each other back here I didn’t realise it was him.

“But we got talking and we worked out we were there together.

“I was on trial and he was there at the club. It’s a small world sometimes!

“After my second season in Australia I came to England for about three weeks. I went to Tottenham for two weeks of that and then on to West Brom.

“I was supposed to go to Wigan afterwards but I had picked up an injury at Tottenham and I tried to keep training. In the end I went home a little early to get it looked after.

“Tony Parks was at Tottenham as the goalkeeping coach. Andre Villas-Boas was the head coach. The senior goalkeepers were Gomes, Carlo Cudicini and Brad Friedel.

“I just vaguely remember training with David and the guys there. I trained with two younger guys than him.

“He was the older one of the younger group in and around that first team group.”

Ryan would have loved to have been handed a deal at White Hart Lane off the back of his efforts.

But his trip over was also about seeing where he stood, getting his name know - and learning.

He said: “I was keen to come across and have a bit of experience in England.

“I had still only played two seasons in Australia at that time. I wanted to come and see what it was like.

“My agent at the time organised it. After my two years in Australia I thought I might have made a little bit of a name for myself.

“Not getting a deal wasn’t really a setback. Obviously you want to do well and, if something comes of it, it’s great.

“But my feedback from both clubs was good.

“That was mainly Tottenham. My training was hampered a little bit at West Brom because of the injury I had.

“But the feedback was that they were happy with what I did.”

When he returned to this country, Ryan believes he was better prepared thanks to playing for Valencia and Club Brugge.

The old subject of his height - barely 6ft - might also have crept in, he suspects. Not that it is seen as an issue these days.

He said: “At that stage, maybe I wasn’t ready. I’m not the tallest goalkeeper and to the eye, on first impression, maybe people didn’t like what they saw. I really don’t know.

“At the end of the day, I just try to do my best and see where it takes me.

“I had my experience there, went back to Australia and played one more season and got my move to Belgium.”

Asked whether going home from Tottenham empty-handed makes his current success feel even sweeter, he said: “I’m just enjoying my life and the way it is going.

“I’m trying to do the best with who I am and what I have and seeing how far it is going take me.”