(November 23, 2025) In contrast to India’s migration narrative that has been dominated by instances of passports surrendered for economic promise abroad, Ryan Williams has scripted a rare and powerful reversal. The 32-year-old Australian-born footballer, who has spent the better part of a decade playing in England and Australia, has not just opted to represent India but has become an Indian citizen, renouncing his Australian passport in a move that has set the country’s football scene abuzz.
In a fun video that went viral, ace footballer Sunil Chhetri handed Williams his Indian passport. That moment was a gesture heavy with kinship, and a symbolic welcome into the Indian football family.
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As Chhetri quizzed him with a mock “citizenship test” before the handover, laughter mingled with the weight of the moment. “Honoured to make official what’s long felt true. Grateful for the love, the opportunity, and the sense of belonging this country has given me. India, I’m one of your own” Williams said at the end of the video. His voice is steady but oozing the enormity of the decision. Indian football welcomed its newest Blue Tiger: a player whose journey across continents has converged with a long-buried family history in Mumbai, and whose arrival would add value to India’s attacking future.
India connection
Ryan William’s connection to India reaches back to his Anglo-Indian roots in Mumbai. His mother was born in the city in an Anglo-Indian family, and his grandfather, Lincoln “Linky” Grostate, represented Bombay in the Santosh Trophy during the 1950s, long before India had a professional football ecosystem.
“It’s something that my family and I thought about a lot. Making a debut for the national team is the proudest moment for any professional footballer. I’ve been waiting so long for this moment,” Williams said in an interview about his decision to opt for Indian citizenship.
A family of footballers
Ryan’s England-born father, Eric Williams has been a former amateur under-18 international player turned influential coach in Western Australia. He ensured that football was the language spoken at home. In 2005, Eric’s contribution to the sport was recognised with an induction into the Football Hall of Fame WA.
Football ran strong in the next generation as well. Rhys Williams, Ryan’s elder brother, played for Middlesbrough, Burnley and Charlton, earning 14 caps for Australia. His twin brother Aryn also carved a career across continents, including a stint with NEROCA FC in Manipur. With that lineage surrounding him, Ryan’s choice to represent India feels less like a pivot and more like a continuation of a story begun several generations ago.
The road to Indian citizenship
Yet choosing India was not simple. India’s Citizenship Act of 1955 prohibits dual nationality, and Indian sporting policy requires athletes to hold an Indian passport to represent the nation. Ryan Williams could not rely on ancestry-based provisions or the Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019. Instead, he followed the route of naturalisation and registration, giving up his Australian passport entirely, a step that foreign-born athletes rarely take. “The process was difficult, but the decision was not,” mentioned the sportsman in his viral video.
His decision caught the attention of the highest levels of Indian football. As All India Football Federation president Kalyan Chaubey revealed, the endorsement came from Sunil Chhetri himself. During a national camp in Kolkata, Chhetri mentioned that his Bengaluru FC teammate was keen to become an Indian citizen. Chaubey then contacted government departments in New Delhi, accelerating a process that normally stretches over years. Instead, Williams’ naturalisation was completed in just seven months, thanks in part to support from Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
A career across continents
Williams’ football education unfolded across Australia and England. Born in Perth, he spent his early childhood in Australia before moving to England as a teenager. In 2010, he entered the Portsmouth academy and made his senior debut a year later against Middlesbrough. Over the next decade he navigated the demanding tiers of English football with Fulham, Gillingham, Oxford United, Barnsley and Rotherham United, building a reputation as a tireless, intelligent winger who thrived on the right flank.
Internationally, he represented Australia at the U-19 and U-20 levels, including at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup, before earning his senior debut in a match against South Korea in 2019. In 2022, he returned home to sign with Perth Glory. A year later, he made a decision that would change everything. Bengaluru FC came calling in 2023, and Williams embraced the opportunity to reconnect with his mother’s country of birth.
Becoming Bengaluru FC’s powerful engine
Since arriving in India, Williams has become one of the most influential attacking players in the Indian Super League. In just two seasons, he has made 38 appearances, scored 10 goals, and delivered four assists, helping Bengaluru FC reach the ISL Cup final in April. Across all competitions, he has recorded 13 goals and five assists in 46 matches, strengthening his on-field chemistry with Sunil Chhetri and becoming a crucial part of BFC’s attacking identity. His energy, sharp movement, and willingness to take responsibility in the final third have endeared him to fans, coaches and teammates alike.
A timely answer to India’s search for goals
Ryan Williams arrives in the national setup at a moment when India is searching for attacking reinforcements. Head coach Khalid Jamil believes Williams’ experience, versatility, and international exposure can widen India’s attacking options and bring stability during a crucial phase of rebuilding.
Ryan and his family’s love for India
Ryan Williams is clearly enamored with Indian culture, particularly the strong family bonds. “What I like about Indian culture is the family aspect. Everybody’s always together, celebrating birthdays and everything,” he shares. His family has had a chance to experience Indian hospitality firsthand, with his mother visiting him in Bangalore and even traveling to Manipur where his brother played football. Williams’ children are also adapting well to their new life, and his son has even developed a fascination with India’s states and landmarks. “He wants to go to Uttar Pradesh, he wants to go to the Taj Mahal, he wants to go to Goa and he even said he wants to go to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands,” Williams reveals, proud of his son’s curiosity and love for India.
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