Plymouth-born right-back Ryan Cross had made Football League appearances for Plymouth Argyle, Hartlepool and Bury when he played in Exeter City’s pre-season friendlies against Portsmouth and Chelsea in 1996. He then signed for Sligo before playing non-league football within travelling distance of Plymouth. 

A former Plymouth Argyle trainee, he made 18 league appearances for his hometown club before a £75,000 move to Hartlepool United in June 1992 added another fifty league outings to his tally. Moving again in December 1993, he had 42 league games in an injury-hit spell with Bury that ran through to May 1996.

Back home in Devon seeking to remain in the game, he spent a fortnight the Grecians to no avail before briefly playing for Sligo Rovers ahead of spells on the Westcountry non-league circuit with Dorchester Town, Weymouth, Weston-super-Mare and Bodmin Town.