Ex-Portsmouth, Millwall and Manchester United man ends 14-month exile with surprise non-league move
The former Manchester United midfielder made 69 appearances and scored three times during his two-year Fratton Park stay
A former John Mousinho player has ended his 14-month absence from football after clinching a shock non-league move.
FA Youth Cup winner Ryan Tunnicliffe has suffered a torrid time since Mousinho released him from Pompey in the summer of 2023.
A move to A-League side Adelaide United then turned sour, featuring for just four minutes in his second - and final season - as the midfielder fell out of favour.
Subsequently, he’d been without a club since June 2025 - until now.
Tunnicliffe, who made 69 appearances and scored three times for Pompey, has finally returned to football with a switch to National League North side King’s Lynn Town following a successful trial.
And the former Manchester United man, who is now aged 33, is pencilled in to start in Saturday’s season opener against Harborough Town.
‘To say this is a huge coup for King’s Lynn Town would be an understatement’
Caddis told the club’s official website: ‘Ryan has spent the majority of pre-season with us, and from day one his quality has been obvious. Just as importantly, he has applied himself brilliantly, embraced everything we’ve asked of him and fitted seamlessly into the outstanding group of lads we already have at the football club.
‘In football, every now and then you come across a signing that is simply a “no-brainer”, and Ryan falls firmly into that category. To say this is a huge coup for King’s Lynn Town would be an understatement.
‘His desire to be part of what we’re building, the enjoyment he’s found in our environment and the relationship we’ve developed throughout pre-season have all made this an easy decision for both parties.
‘I’m absolutely delighted to welcome Ryan to King’s Lynn Town. We’re adding a player of exceptional quality, proven calibre and vast experience to what is already a fantastic group of men, and I’m excited to see the impact he’ll have both on and off the pitch this season.’
Much-travelled playing career
In a much-travelled career, Tunnicliffe has also represented Peterborough, Barnsley, Ipswich, Fulham, Wigan, Blackburn, Millwall and Luton after starting his career at Old Trafford.
He was recruited by Pompey head coach Danny Cowley in June 2021 and began his time on the south coast in impressive style, scoring once and claiming three assists in his opening four appearances.
However, a hamstring injury sustained against Bolton in October 2021 halted that eye-catching early form, sidelining him for three months - and he never quite recaptured those sparkling performances.
Upon Mousinho’s appointment as head coach in January 2023, Tunnicliffe started his first match, with a 2-0 success over Exeter.
However, after being a regular starter under the new boss, he was dumped from the match-day for the final three matches of the 2022-23 season.
Subsequently, Tunnicliffe was released in the summer of 2023, along with Clark Robertson, Kieron Freeman, Michael Jacobs, Louis Thompson, Ronan Curtis and Jayden Reid.
Now, three years later, he’s bidding to get his career back on track with a switch to King’s Lynn.