Caltex Socceroo keeper captains Valencia against EPL side

Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak believes Caltex Socceroos gloveman Mat Ryan, who captained Valencia overnight against EPL outfit Bournemouth, has what it takes to succeed in La Liga.

Overnight against the Cherries, Ryan completed 90 minutes for Valencia - and wore the skipper's armband - while his international teammate Brad Smith also put in a full shift for the English Premier League club.

Valencia led at half-time through Enzo Perez but Ryan could do little to stop Benik Afobe's powerful equaliser in the 61st minute.

Ryan arrived in Spain before last season, signing with Valencia from Club Brugge, and the Australia international experienced a rollercoaster first season at the Mestalla.

The 24-year-old made 21 appearances in all competitions and notched seven clean sheets, but he struggled to hold down a starting position as four different coaches took charge throughout the campaign.

Having started two of Valencia's four pre-season matches under Pako Ayestaran, however, including a stint wearing the captain's armband in a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth on Wednesday, Ryan appears set for a stronger second year in La Liga.

Oblak, who notched a league-high 24 clean sheets in 2015-16, has been impressed by what he's seen of the Aussie.

"Yeah, I saw some games he [Ryan] was playing. He was playing good," Oblak told Goal Australia.

"He's a great goalkeeper, so I think he just needs to keep working like he's working. He will do good things."