New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) : Ryan Williams is set for a memorable homecoming when he returns to Bengaluru’s Sree Kanteerava Stadium in India’s colours for the first time, three years after beginning his Indian football journey at the same venue.
The 32-year-old, who plays his club football for Bengaluru FC, will trade the familiar blue of his club for India’s blue when the Blue Tigers begin their international window against Panama on September 25.
Williams, who made his India debut in March this year and has already earned two international caps and scored once, said playing for the national team at the venue where his Indian journey began would be a special occasion.
“It’s going to be special in every way, shape and form. I started my Indian footballing career here in Bangalore, and who would have thought three years ago that I would have been pulling on the jersey for India. It’s amazing. It’s a real full-circle moment,” Williams said.
India’s clash against Panama will be the first of three high-profile fixtures during the international window. The team will then travel to Kolkata to face Brazil on October 3 before taking on Uruguay three days later.
With India set to spend three weeks together under head coach Khalid Jamil, Williams believes the extended period will allow the squad to build better understanding and work extensively on the coach’s plans.
“Usually it’s 10 days, but we have three weeks together, which is valuable time for us to connect more, get the ideas from the coach and try different things in training,” he said.
The Blue Tigers will come up against three teams that featured at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, giving India an opportunity to test themselves against top-level opposition.
Williams said the players are looking forward to the challenge and hope to use the matches as a learning experience.
“First of all, the feeling is excitement. Obviously, the time together is really good for our preparation and for us going forward,” he said.
“Three massive games that are obviously a huge test for us. But that’s what we want. That’s what we’re after: to see how these bigger teams do it, what we can take from these games, see how much we can learn and see how we use them going forward,” he added.
For Williams, however, the Panama game carries an added significance because of his connection with the Kanteerava Stadium. Having spent much of his time in India playing for Bengaluru FC at the venue, he is expecting strong support from both club and national team fans.
“I’m super, super excited to play at the Kanteerava, because that’s where I’ve spent most of my time here in India. I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of fans from BFC and, obviously, from India as well,” he said.
“For me, it’s a really special moment to be able to wear the blue of India now, playing at the (Kanteerava) stadium. I’m extremely excited,” he added.
