ISL 2025-26: Ryan Williams chases silverware with Bengaluru FC after shining on debut for India

Ryan Williams arrived at Bengaluru FC trying to find a new home thousands of miles away from his hometown in Perth. Three years later he has found one, as an Indian international and first-team regular with fifteen goals and five assists for club and country.

“When I first came here it was actually Simon Grayson who was here (as head coach), who I had played against a few times before in Britain,” Williams said. Sports stars.

“For me, from a football technical point of view, the boot fit very well because all the coaching staff came from Great Britain, the same methods I was used to all the time I was in Great Britain.”

But the defining moment was his call-up for India. He became the first foreign-born player to transfer to the Blue Tigers since Arata Izumi, scoring on his debut against Hong Kong in a 2–1 win in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.

«(There were) a lot of emotions in the beginning. It was obviously joy, excitement and just pure happiness because it was such a long journey leading up to that point,» Williams recalls.

“A little bit of relief (too) because not only was the fact that I was eligible and able to play the first hurdle, the second hurdle came along and allowed me to make an impact.”

The match marked the end of a three-year wait for the forward, who received help from JSW and Bengaluru FC to finally get his Indian passport.

«This club is, and I can say from my point of view, a family club. I have a lot of friends who, you know, sit in the office and stuff. It’s not just the guys on the field. Every chance I get I go in and say hello,» he adds.

“Even towards the end of the application process, the club managed to get it much quicker than I would have, so it was very special for me.”

But in professional football, one challenge follows another. Williams helped India to its first win in the Asian Cup qualifiers, but his club is now demanding his full focus.

Bengaluru FC has had three coaches in the past six months, with new Spaniard Pep Munoz taking over mid-season last month.

«With every new coach that comes in, there are different ideas. He’s only been here maybe about a week, so it’s hard to say. But from what I’ve seen so far, I’m enjoying it,» he said.

«You can look at it two ways. You can think, I wish Renedy (Singh) was still here, or you can think, ‘I’ll take this challenge and see if I can learn something from this new coach.’ I think everyone is working very hard with this coach right now. He has some great ideas and I look forward to what lies ahead,” said Williams.

Under Munoz, Bengaluru started with a 2-0 win over Super Cup champions FC Goa but stuttered against Kerala Blasters in their previous match, where his squad was reduced to 10 men.

«I felt like we were in control until that point. We probably could have defended a little better as a unit, even with 10 players. But again, it was just another opportunity for us to learn. It’s obviously a shame that it happened against our rivals, but it is what it is,» Williams said.

Bengaluru travels to Kolkata for their next match against in-form East Bengal, who defeated two-time ISL winners Chennaiyin FC 3-1 last Saturday. A win here could propel the Blues into the top three.

«We have played three away games and recorded three wins. So we feel quite comfortable going away. These next three games, East Bengal, Mumbai and Jamshedpur, are super important for us because they are all above us and they (East Bengal) have an extra game in hand,» the forward added.

Williams’ search for a new home may be complete, but the quest for domestic silverware with the Blues remains elusive, a quest he will look to achieve in the famous blue kit in the Indian Super League.

Published on April 15, 2026