WITH a reputation as a man not afraid to upset the apple cart, life was never going to be boring at Worcester Warriors with Dean Ryan at the helm.

And so it proved right until the end as he left his players and the club’s supporters in shock when he decided to walk away after three years in charge.

His unexpected departure ended a roller-coaster reign at Sixways having experienced the heartache of relegation in 2014 and the joy of promotion a year later.

But, apart from guiding the club back to the Aviva Premiership and claiming the British and Irish Cup that same year, how will the former England international’s tenure be remembered?

Back in 2013 when Ryan walked through the doors at Worcester, the newly-appointed director of rugby promised to bring the academy back to life.

With the backing of the board, Ryan brought in a number of coaches, headed by high performance director Nick Johnston, whose aim was to increase the number of young players coming through Warriors’ youth system.

The ex-Gloucester head coach also pledged to get rid of Warriors’ ‘retirement home’ tag in a bid to provide more of a platform for youngsters to shine.

He said Sixways should no longer be considered as a place where wily old former internationals collected their final pay check before calling it a day and subsequently made wholesale changes.

Suddenly, a culture was being created at the club which Ryan and his team were able to sell to ambitious players looking to make their mark.

But this would not have been achieved without his ruthless and outspoken style of management which no doubt upset a few people, including players, along the way.

Bosses at the Rugby Football Union and Premiership Rugby have certainly been made aware of Ryan’s angry streak, especially when the topic of referees came up.

The revelation of his ‘secret report’ damning the performances of officials earlier this year was a memorable moment during his time.

It was also among a catalogue of Ryan rants which kept the media on their toes but his intense character made him difficult for the local hacks to develop a rapport with.

Even during Warriors’ club record four successive wins in the top flight last season, arguably his best achievement on the pitch, he rarely smiled, but that was Ryan’s way.

So although the precise reason behind Ryan’s exit may not be known, it should not come as too much of a surprise considering his single-minded approach.

What is known though is that Warriors have at least got a strong foundation to work from as they look to finally achieve their lofty ambition of becoming one of the league’s big-hitters.