Ryan Hedges

Following his move to Derby, Hedges's current-season form is down 81% on last season (Season 21→4), while his Rating eased 28→23. His peak season for form remains 2022/23 (Season 38).

Domestic career

Season	Club	Apps	G	A	Match	RTG	Season
2026/27	Derby · 16th	1	0	0	6.9	23	4
2025/26	Blackburn · 20th	24	1	2	6.9	28	21
2024/25	Blackburn · 7th	42	1	2	6.85	44	30
2023/24	Blackburn · 19th	17	2	3	7.1	42	13
2022/23	Blackburn · 7th	43	4	4	6.86	58	38

Domestic-league totals per season. RTG = Field Insider Rating (potential / ceiling); Season = age-blind form that year. 9 earlier seasons and 1 youth-team spell in the full career.

Wales · international

Side	Apps	G
Wales	3	0
Wales U21	11	0
Wales U19	3	1

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

Scout report

Experienced headDefensive midfielder

R. Hedges is a 31-year-old defensive midfielder at Blackburn, rated 28.4 overall by Field Insider's model. A seasoned veteran, he has been a rotation option this season (38.1% of available minutes). His defensive output reads 3.94 tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90. Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Hedges.

On the season, Hedges graded 21 for current form (age-blind), on 1 goal, 2 assists and 3.94 defensive actions per 90.

Year-on-year, that's a drop on last season (Season 21 → 4). Over the 7 seasons on record his form has drifted down, peaking in 2022/23.

On long-term talent our Rating reads 28. At 31 Hedges is into the veteran stage, where the age curve weighs on the projection, and a market index of 7.4 reflects that trajectory.

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: 2022/23Trending upBreakout: 2022/23Injury-hit 2025/26

28.4

Ratingi

below regular-starter level

21.3

Seasoni

below regular-starter level

38.1%

Minutes

rotation minutes

3.94

Def. actions / 90

solid defensive volume

Output in context · Blackburn finished 20th of 24 · a lower-table side

Apps

3.94

Def. / 90

Tackles

Interceptions

Clean sheets

3.94 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — solid defensive volume, with 5 clean sheets across 24 appearances. Doing that for a lower-table side (20th of 24) is harder than the bare numbers suggest: a back line under more pressure has to defend more often and protects fewer leads, so the volume — and any clean sheets — carry real weight. Going forward he chipped in 1 goal and 2 assists — a useful bonus from the back.

Strengths

Attacking threat. Chips in from deep: 0.17 goal involvements per 90, useful for a defensive midfielder.
Defensive volume. 3.94 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — does the unseen work.

Watch points

Game time. Only 38.1% of available minutes — needs a settled run to prove the level.
Age curve. At 31, both level and resale value are on the downslope.
Level. Rates below a nailed-on top-tier starter on our model.

Outlook

Rated 28.4 overall — below regular-starter level. Defensively he reads as solid defensive volume (3.94 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90). Veteran phase — a short-term, lower-fee proposition as both level and value decline (0.9× and falling).

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

Per 90 & availability

Minutes played %38.1%

Available fixtures46 of 46

Goals / 900.057

Assists / 900.114

Goal contribution / 900.171

Defensive actions / 903.94

Player flow

Goal involvements3

Cards / 900.171

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 (~16), then tapers with age. At 31, Hedges sits on 7.4, past its peak and easing. The blue line is Hedges's projected Rating — 28.4 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 defensive midfielders in the Championship with 600+ minutes this season.

Shooting

Goals1

Passing

Assists2

Defending

Tackles43

Interceptions22

Blocks4

Yellow/red cards

Yellow cards3

Red cards0

Transfer history

Free agentJun 2026 – nowFree

BlackburnJan 2022 – Jun 2026Free

AberdeenJul 2019 – Jan 2022

BarnsleyJan 2017 – Jul 2019

YYeovil Town(on loan)Jul 2016 – Jan 2017

Stevenage(on loan)Feb 2016 – Jul 2016

Leyton Orient(on loan)Jan 2015 – Feb 2016

Swanseauntil Jan 2015

About R. Hedges

Ryan Peter Hedges is a 31-year-old defensive midfielder who plays for Blackburn, born on July 8, 1995 in Northampton, standing 185 cm tall. He is from Wales. Blackburn currently sit 6th of 24 in the Championship.

This season

In the current season, R. Hedges has made 24 appearances with 1 goal and 2 assists across 1,576 minutes, with 3 yellow cards.

R. Hedges's next match is on August 29, 2026, when Blackburn face QPR at home in the Championship.

Field Insider's view

Field Insider currently rates R. Hedges at 28.4 with a Season form score of 21.3. See the full scout report for strengths, watch-points and the market-value outlook.

Career

Across 14 recorded seasons, R. Hedges has totalled 304 club appearances with 27 goals and 23 assists for 9 different clubs. His busiest campaign came in 2022/23, with 43 appearances for Blackburn.

R. Hedges's career has also included time at Aberdeen, Barnsley, YYeovil Town, Stevenage, Leyton Orient and Swansea.

On the international stage, R. Hedges has represented Wales, Wales U21, Wales U19 — 17 caps and 1 goal in our records.

Transfer news

No transfer news found for this player.