Ryan Dale Williams (born 28 October 1993) is an Australian professional
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
player who plays as a
winger for
Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is a professional association football league in India and the highest level of the Indian football league system. Administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partner Football Sport ...
club
Bengaluru
Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
.
Early life
Born in
Perth
Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, Williams' mother Audrey, was born in an
Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indian people are a distinct minority group, minority community of mixed-race British and Indian ancestry. During the colonial period, their ancestry was defined as British paternal and Indian maternal heritage; post-independence, "Angl ...
family from
Mumbai
Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
, India and his father was born in
Kent
Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
, England. His maternal grandfather Lincoln "Linky" Grostate played for
Bombay
Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...
in the
Santosh Trophy
The National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy, or simply Santosh Trophy, is an inter-state national football competition contested by the state associations and government institutions under the All India Football Federation (AIFF), th ...
in the 1950s. Williams was brought up in a footballing family, with both older brother
Rhys
Rhys or Rhŷs is a popular Welsh language, Welsh given name (usually male) that is famous in Welsh history and is also used as a surname. It originates from Deheubarth, an old region of South West Wales, with famous kings such as Rhys ap Tewdwr.
...
and twin brother
Aryn having been professional footballers. The brothers all started their careers at
ECU Joondalup
Perth RedStar Football Club is an Australian association football, soccer club from Joondalup, Western Australia currently playing in the National Premier Leagues Western Australia and National Premier Leagues WA Women.They are often a very tale ...
before moving to England.
Club career
Portsmouth
Williams joined
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
in July 2010, signing a scholarship with the clubs' academy side. There were initial issues concerning international clearance, with the FFA (Football Federation Australia) failing to release vital paperwork to allow Williams to play, but this was eventually resolved on 12 November. He played his first match for Portsmouth on 6 August 2010, in a friendly against
Farnborough. His first competitive academy match for Portsmouth was a 4–1 loss to
Chelsea.
Williams was promoted to training with
Steve Cotterill
Stephen John Cotterill (born 20 July 1964) is an English coach and former player who is currently the manager of National League side Forest Green Rovers.
Cotterill, a striker, had a nine-year career as a footballer playing for Burton Albio ...
's first-team upon returning for the
2011–12 season. This cumulated with Williams' making his first appearance with the first-team in a 4–0 win over
Havant & Waterlooville, in which he produced a lively display, contributing an assist. He went on to feature against
Chelsea and travelled to the US with the first-team. Cotterill indicated that he was ready to promote Williams to the Portsmouth first-team squad, and Williams was selected to be on the bench for the
Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
match against
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
with the 17 jersey.
He made his professional debut in the opening-day match against Middlesbrough, on 6 August 2011, after he came off the bench to replace
Hermann Hreiðarsson in the 63rd minute, playing against his older brother
Rhys
Rhys or Rhŷs is a popular Welsh language, Welsh given name (usually male) that is famous in Welsh history and is also used as a surname. It originates from Deheubarth, an old region of South West Wales, with famous kings such as Rhys ap Tewdwr.
...
, who scored in the match.
Fulham
On 31 January 2012, Fulham announced the transfer deadline day signing of Williams from
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
for an undisclosed fee, having impressed during a reserve game against
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...
the previous night.
On 13 May 2014, following the relegation of Fulham and his conclusion to his loan spell, Williams signed a new two-year contract with the club.
Williams signed for
Gillingham in
League Two on a one-month loan deal on 14 February 2013 but failed to make an appearance for the Kent club before being recalled by Fulham.
On 3 August 2013, Williams joined
Oxford United
Oxford United Football Club () is a professional association football, football club based in Oxford, England. The club compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football league system, English football. Founded as Headingto ...
on loan until 1 January 2014, and made his debut against
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
at
Fratton Park
Fratton Park is a association football, football ground in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, and is the home of Portsmouth F.C., Portsmouth Football Club. Fratton Park's location on Portsea Island is unique in English professional football, as it ...
. He scored his first senior goal on 28 September 2013 in a
League Two win over
Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Hartlepool, County Durham, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system.
They were founded in 190 ...
. On 19 December 2013, Fulham agreed to extend his loan deal until the end of the season. After making 35 appearances and scoring six times, Williams made his final appearance for the club against relegation battlers
Northampton Town
Northampton Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Northampton, England. The team competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1897, the c ...
. Williams scored his seventh goal of the season to give his team the lead. However, towards the end of the first half he was sent off for kicking
Ricky Ravenhill. Northampton Town subsequently took the lead and went on to win 3–1, which led to Northampton Town surviving relegation and Oxford United missing out of the play-offs.
After being included in two matches for Fulham at the start of the 2014–15 season, Williams joined Barnsley on an initial one-month loan on 2 October 2014. Williams made his Barnsley debut ten days later on 12 October 2014, in a 3–1 win over
Bradford City
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The club competes in , the third tier of English football, and is managed by Graham Alexander.
The club was founded in 1903 and ...
. Having made seven appearances, Williams' loan spell was extended until 1 January 2015. However, Williams' first team appearances were soon reduced due to his international commitments and he suffered a groin injury before returned to his parent club.
Barnsley
On 26 July 2015, Williams re-joined
Barnsley
Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. It is the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. The town's population was 71,422 in 2021, while the wider boroug ...
, but this time on a permanent basis for an undisclosed fee. His first and what turned out to be only goal for Barnsley was a late winner in a 4–3 win at
Cardiff City
Cardiff City Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It currently competes in , the third tier of the English football league system in the 2025–26 season following relegation. Founded in 1899 a ...
.
Rotherham United
On 20 June 2017, Williams moved across South Yorkshire to join
Rotherham United
Rotherham United Football Club, nicknamed The Millers, is a professional association football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. The team plays in EFL League One, the third tier of English football, after suffering relegation fr ...
on a two-year deal. On 30 May 2019 it was announced that he would leave at the end of the season, upon expiry of his contract.
Return to Portsmouth
On 26 June 2019, Williams re-signed for his first club,
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
.
Return to Oxford
On 9 June 2021, Williams rejoined former club
Oxford United
Oxford United Football Club () is a professional association football, football club based in Oxford, England. The club compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football league system, English football. Founded as Headingto ...
when his contract expired at Portsmouth. He signed a two-year deal.
Perth Glory
In June 2022, Williams left Oxford United to return to Australia, joining
Perth Glory
Perth Glory Football Club is an Australian professional Association football, soccer club based in Perth, Perth, Western Australia. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under Professional sports league organi ...
for an undisclosed fee, signing a three-year contract. He was welcomed back to
Perth
Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
scoring an absolute stunner out of the box goal against
Western United.
Bengaluru
On 28 July 2023, Williams signed a one-year deal with an optional one-year extension with
Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is a professional association football league in India and the highest level of the Indian football league system. Administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partner Football Sport ...
club
Bengaluru FC
Bengaluru Football Club () (Kannada: ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು.ಎಫ್.ಸಿ) is an Indian professional football club based in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The club w ...
.
In 2024 Ryan Williams decides to extend his contract for another year.In 2024 his combination play with Sunil Chhetri played a pivotal role and providing assists and scoring goals led him to win the 2024 December Indian Super League Player of the Month.
International career
Williams played for the under-20 and under-23 sides, representing Australia at
U20 U20 or U-20 may refer to:
Naval vessels
*
* , a sloop of the Royal Navy
* , a submarine of the Austro-Hungarian Navy
Other uses
* Great truncated cuboctahedron
* Meizu U20, a smartphone
* Roland U-20, a synthesizer
* Small nucleolar RNA S ...
level at the
2012 AFC U-19 Championship
The 2012 AFC U-19 Championship is the 37th edition of the tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation. The AFC approved UAE as hosts of the 2012 AFC U-19 Championship on 23 November 2011. in
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...
and at the
2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup
The 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the nineteenth edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, since its inception in 1977 as the FIFA World Youth Championship. It ran from 21 June to 13 July 2013. At the FIFA Executive Meeting in Zürich on 3 March 2011, ...
in
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. He was called up to the
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
senior squad in May 2019 for the friendly game against
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
on 7 June. He made his international debut as a second-half substitute in the game.
Career statistics
Club
Honours
Rotherham United
*
EFL League One play-offs
The EFL League One play-offs are a series of play-off matches contested by the association football teams finishing from third to sixth in the EFL League One table and are part of the English Football League play-offs. , the play-offs comprise tw ...
:
2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
Portsmouth
*
EFL Trophy
The English Football League Trophy, officially known as the Vertu Motors, Vertu Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football, football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL League Two and ...
runner-up:
2019–20
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Ryan
1993 births
Living people
Soccer players from Perth, Western Australia
Australian sportspeople of Indian descent
Australian people of English descent
Australian people of Anglo-Indian descent
Men's association football forwards
Men's association football wingers
Australian men's soccer players
Australia men's international soccer players
Australian expatriate men's soccer players
Australian expatriate sportspeople in England
Expatriate men's footballers in England
Perth RedStar FC players
Fulham F.C. players
Portsmouth F.C. players
Gillingham F.C. players
Oxford United F.C. players
Barnsley F.C. players
Rotherham United F.C. players
Perth Glory FC players
English Football League players
Bengaluru FC players
21st-century Australian sportsmen