Ryan Strain

Missed 13 of Dundee Utd's ~38 games this season through 13 injury absences (hamstring). He still appeared 20 times — a solid return given how little of the season he was available. His rating is judged mainly on the games he was fit to play.

Performance data · by competition

Competition	Apps	G	A	Min	Match
League Cup	36	4	5	2824	6.91
Premiership	20	1	0	1247	6.71

Career

Full career & schedule →

Australia Cup×3Ligat Ha'al×2Super Cup×2Toto Cup Ligat Al×2

Strain's current-season form is down 61% on last season (Season 28→11), while his Rating eased 41→26. His peak season for form remains 2022/23 (Season 36).

Domestic career

Season	Club	Apps	G	A	Match	RTG	Season
2025/26	Dundee Utd · 7th	20	1	0	6.71	26	11
2024/25	Dundee Utd · 4th	30	0	4	6.93	41	28
2023/24	ST Mirren · 5th	18	1	1	6.75	37	13
2022/23	ST Mirren · 6th	36	4	5	6.91	48	36
2021/22	Maccabi Haifa	9	0	0	—	—	—

Domestic-league totals per season. RTG = Field Insider Rating (potential / ceiling); Season = age-blind form that year. 4 earlier seasons in the full career.

Australia · international

Side	Apps	G
Australia	42	4

Career caps & goals — tournament breakdown in the full career.

Scout report

Squad depthCentral defender

R. Strain is a 29-year-old central defender at Dundee Utd, rated 26.3 overall by Field Insider's model, ranking 183rd of 233 on scout potential in the Premiership. An experienced operator, he has been a rotation option this season (36.5% of available minutes). His defensive output reads 2.6 tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90. Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Strain.

Judged on this season alone, Strain graded 11 — a workmanlike campaign that ranks 42nd of 50 of the 50 centre-backs in the Premiership, on 3 clean sheets and 2.598 defensive actions per 90.

Year-on-year, that's a drop on last season (Season 28 → 11). Over the 4 seasons on record his form has drifted down, peaking in 2022/23.

On long-term talent our Rating reads 26, 38th of 50 of the 50 centre-backs in the Premiership. At 29 Strain is in his prime years, and a market index of 3.2 reflects that trajectory.

Read the appearance count in context: Strain missed 13 games through injury (hamstring) out of roughly 38 this season. The 20 he did play is a solid return on the time he was fit, and his ratings are weighted toward those games rather than the ones he sat out injured.

From the career report

Read the full career report →

Below his 2022/23 peak but holding a solid level — the platform for a return is there.

Peak: 2022/23Holding levelInjury-hit 2025/26

Current potential38th of 50 centre-backs · Premiership Current season42nd of 50 centre-backs · Premiership42nd-best centre-back in the Premiership183rd in the Premiership · potential38th-highest potential centre-back in the Premiership

26.3

Ratingi

38th of 50 centre-backs

10.6

Seasoni

below regular-starter level

36.5%

Minutes

rotation minutes

2.6

Def. actions / 90

moderate defensive volume

Output in context · Dundee Utd finished 7th of 12 · a mid-table side

2.6

Def. / 90

Tackles

Interceptions

Clean sheets

2.6 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — moderate defensive volume, with 3 clean sheets across 20 appearances. Going forward he chipped in 1 goal and 0 assists — a useful bonus from the back.

Watch points

Game time. Only 36.5% of available minutes — needs a settled run to prove the level.
Level. Rates below a nailed-on top-tier starter on our model.

Outlook

With a Rating of 26.3, Strain carries the 38th-highest potential of the centre-backs in the Premiership of 50. Defensively he reads as moderate defensive volume (2.6 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90). Experienced and reliable, but the value curve is easing (1.1× now → 0.8× projected in three years).

Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.

Per 90 & availability

Minutes played %36.5%

Available fixtures38 of 38

Goals / 900.072

Assists / 900

Goal contribution / 900.072

Defensive actions / 902.598

Player flow

Goal involvements1

Shot conversion %50

Shot accuracy %50

Pass accuracy %69

Dribble success %26.7

Cards / 900.433

Foul involvement / 901.804

Season-by-season progression

Rating (potential)Season (form)

Value & potential by age

Market valueRating

Solid = now · dashed = projected

The gold line is market value — an index (not €) blending rating, age and league. It climbs through the early 20s, peaks around ages 23–27 (~6), then tapers with age. At 29, Strain sits on 3.2, past its peak and easing. The blue line is Strain's projected Rating — 26.3 today — recomputed at each age, so it follows the same rise-and-fall as a career matures and declines. Solid = up to today; dashed = projected.

Season statistics

Bars = where he ranks among centre-backs in the Premiership with 600+ minutes this season.

Shooting

Goals1

Shots on target2

Shots4

Passing

Assists0

Chances created12

Passes425

Pass accuracy69%

Possession

Successful dribbles4

Dribble success26.7%

Duels won58

Duels won %46.4%

Fouls won11

Defending

Tackles25

Interceptions8

Blocks3

Fouls committed14

Penalties conceded1

Yellow/red cards

Yellow cards6

Red cards0

Transfer history

Falkirk2026/27 – now-

Dundee Utduntil 2026/27

Free agent2026/27 – 2026/27Free

Dundee Utd2024/25 – 2026/27Free

ST Mirren2022/23 – 2024/25

Maccabi Haifa2021/22 – 2022/23

Adelaide United IIuntil 2021/22

Adelaide United2016/17 – 2021/22

Aston Villauntil 2016/17

About R. Strain

Ryan Strain is a 29-year-old centre-back who plays for Dundee Utd, born on April 2, 1997 in Coventry, standing 181 cm tall. He is from Australia. Dundee Utd currently sit 7th of 12 in the Premiership.

This season

In the current season, R. Strain has made 20 appearances with 1 goal and 0 assists across 1,247 minutes, averaging a 6.84 match rating over his last 10 rated games, with 6 yellow cards. His season has spanned the League Cup and the Premiership. Though primarily a centre-back, he has also lined up in midfield this season.

When R. Strain plays, Dundee Utd's record this season is 4W-10D-6L — and his match ratings average 6.88 at home against 6.51 on the road.

Recent matches

May 17, 2026: 1-1 draw away at ST Mirren (66 minutes, 7.5 rating)
May 12, 2026: 0-0 draw at home vs Livingston (83 minutes, 7.3 rating)
May 9, 2026: 0-2 loss away at Aberdeen (90 minutes, 6.2 rating)
April 26, 2026: 3-0 win at home vs Dundee (84 minutes, 1 goal, 7 rating)
April 11, 2026: 3-2 win at home vs Livingston (90 minutes, 7.3 rating)
March 15, 2026: 2-2 draw away at Dundee (14 minutes, 6 rating)
February 28, 2026: 0-2 loss away at Motherwell (90 minutes, 6.7 rating)
February 24, 2026: 0-0 draw at home vs Aberdeen (31 minutes, 7 rating)
February 21, 2026: 1-1 draw at home vs Kilmarnock (53 minutes, 6.7 rating)
February 14, 2026: 3-2 win away at Falkirk (90 minutes, 6.7 rating)

Field Insider's view

Field Insider currently rates R. Strain at 26.3 with a Season form score of 10.6, ranking 183rd of 233 centre-backs in the Premiership. See the full scout report for strengths, watch-points and the market-value outlook.

Availability: R. Strain has missed 13 matches this season through injury.

His honours include 9 career titles — among them the Ligat Ha'al and the Toto Cup Ligat Al. Full list in the career record.

Career

Across 9 recorded seasons, R. Strain has totalled 194 club appearances with 6 goals and 15 assists for 4 different clubs. His busiest campaign came in 2022/23, with 36 appearances for ST Mirren.

R. Strain's career has also included time at Falkirk, ST Mirren, Maccabi Haifa, Adelaide United II, Adelaide United and Aston Villa.

On the international stage, R. Strain has represented Australia — 42 caps and 4 goals in our records.

Transfer news

No transfer news found for this player.

Profile

Season stats

Injury-affected season

Performance data · by competition

Career

Scout report

Output in context · Dundee Utd finished 7th of 12 · a mid-table side

Watch points