Indian football turns to foreign-bred talent as Ryan Williams and Abneet Bharti join national camp

Ryan Williams and Abneet Bharti are set to join the India team’s preparatory camp ahead of the AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh

In a significant move that could mark the beginning of a new era for Indian football, two foreign-born players, Ryan Williams and Abneet Bharti, are set to join the national team’s preparatory camp ahead of the AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh in Dhaka on November 18. The camp, beginning Thursday in Bengaluru, will see 31-year-old winger Ryan Williams and 27-year-old defender Abneet Bharti don Indian colours for the first time. Both players hold valid Indian passports, making them eligible for national selection under FIFA regulations.

Williams, born in Perth, Australia, represents Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League. He recently completed his citizenship formalities, officially becoming an Indian after surrendering his Australian passport. The club celebrated the moment with a light-hearted social media post, featuring Williams learning Hindi phrases under the guidance of skipper Sunil Chhetri.

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Williams’ Indian roots trace back to his mother, Audrey, who was born into an Anglo-Indian family from Mumbai. His maternal grandfather, Lincoln “Linky” Grostate, was a noted footballer who represented Bombay in the Santosh Trophy during the 1950s. Even Aryn Williams, the twin brother of Ryan, played for I-League Club from 2017 to 2019.

Having previously represented the Australian national team in a 2019 friendly against South Korea, Williams now finds himself at the cusp of a new chapter, this time with the Blue Tigers. Currently awaiting final clearance from Football Australia, he is expected to join the Indian camp shortly.

For India, Williams’ inclusion could not come at a better time. With Sunil Chhetri absent from the current squad, Khalid Jamil’s men have struggled for incisiveness in the final third, an area where Williams’ pace, experience, and attacking flair could prove crucial.

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On the other hand, Abneet Bharti, a Nepal-born defender who holds an Indian passport, is expected to add solidity to the backline. Bharti currently plies his trade for Academia del Balompie Boliviano (ABB) in the top division of Bolivia. His football journey has been nothing short of a global odyssey, from Shastri FC in Delhi to youth football in Singapore, followed by stints in Poland, Portugal, Spain, Argentina, the Czech Republic, and a brief spell with Kerala Blasters FC.

According to AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey, both players have been invited to the camp after due diligence. “If they live up to expectations, they will travel to Dhaka for the match,” Chaubey told The Telegraph India. He credited the Ministry of Sports and Minister Mansukh Mandaviya for facilitating Williams’ documentation process.

India’s move to integrate players with foreign backgrounds is not without precedent, but it remains rare. The most notable example dates back to Arata Izumi, a Japan-born footballer who acquired Indian citizenship in 2012 and went on to represent India in nine matches between 2013 and 2014. Izumi, who played for clubs like East Bengal and Pune FC, was born to a Japanese mother and an Indian father.

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India is already out of contention for the AFC Asian Cup 2027, but Jamil’s focus is clearly on laying the foundations for the next cycle. At 32, veteran centre-back Sandesh Jhingan is nearing the twilight of his career, and Bharti could potentially be groomed as a successor to partner Anwar Ali at the heart of the defence.

Meanwhile, Williams’ versatility in attack could inject much-needed sharpness into India’s frontline. For a country striving to raise its footballing standards, the inclusion of foreign-bred players with Indian heritage could serve as a catalyst. Beyond the immediate sporting impact, it also reflects a global approach, one that many footballing nations have already embraced successfully.