Ryan Williams has joined Indian team camp; He will participate in AFC Asian Cup against Bangladesh

Ryan Williams, a forward who renounced his Australian passport to attain Indian citizenship, has joined the Indian national football team’s training camp in Bengaluru, which is led by coach Khalid Jamil. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) made the announcement on Sunday, noting that the 32-year-old Perth native arrived at the camp alongside defender Jay Gupta.

“Forward Ryan Williams and defender Jay Gupta have linked up with the senior men’s national team camp in Bengaluru,” the AIFF shared in a post on X.

This development could signal a fresh chapter for Indian football, as the AIFF—football’s national governing body—had earlier this week called up two overseas-based players, Williams and Abneet Bharti, for the camp. The gathering precedes India’s AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh in Dhaka on November 18.

The move underscores a bold strategic shift by the embattled federation, which is now opening its doors to players of Indian origin and those willing to surrender their foreign citizenship to represent India. The training camp kicked off in Bengaluru last Thursday.

Williams’ Indian citizenship handover ceremony was officiated by football legend Sunil Chhetri at the training grounds of Bengaluru FC, the Indian Super League (ISL) club where Williams has been playing since 2023.

“Honored to make official what has long felt like a given. I’m thankful for the love, the opportunity, and the sense of belonging this country has bestowed upon me. As you can tell, the final round of interviews was the toughest part. India, I’m one of you now!” Williams had previously expressed in an Instagram post.

Williams’ mother was born in Mumbai, while his father hails from Kent, England. He is only the second Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) to become eligible to play for the Indian national team.

Having represented Australia at the U-20 and U-23 levels, Williams also made a senior team appearance as a second-half substitute in a 2019 friendly against South Korea. His club career includes stints with English sides Fulham and Portsmouth before he joined ISL outfit Bengaluru FC in 2023.

Prior to Williams, the only other OCI to gain Indian citizenship for football purposes was Japan-born Izumi Arata, who became an Indian national in 2012 and went on to feature in nine matches for the Blue Tigers (India’s national team nickname) between 2013 and 2014.