Sources: Former Australia international Ryan Williams called up to Indian national camp

Former Australian winger Ryan Williams and Nepal-born defender Abneet Bharti have been called up to the senior men's Indian national football team camp in Bengaluru this month, prior to the AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh.

While confirming the call up to ESPN, AIFF sources indicated that there are still some formalities to be sorted out for Williams. The AIFF are waiting for a no-objection certificate from Football Australia, Williams' previous home federation, before they can officially announce his call-up to the national team. They expect this to be completed by the end of the week.

Williams has played once before for the Australian national team (vs South Korea in 2019). He has been plying his trade in India since 2023, when he left Perth Glory to join Bengaluru FC. ESPN can confirm that he has been in the process of obtaining his Indian passport for more than a year now, having also moved his family with him to Bengaluru. To be eligible for the national team, Williams had to give up his Australian passport, since India doesn't allow dual citizenship. He's now one step away from officially being called an Indian player.

His Indian connection comes from his mother, who was born into an Anglo-Indian family in Mumbai. Williams' twin brother Aryn, who also spent some time at Indian clubs including NEROCA FC, had also spoken to the New Indian Express in 2017 about his wish to play for India. However, his stint in India was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bharti, meanwhile, has been called up for a trial, AIFF sources have told ESPN, with a decision on his future with the national team depending on his performances in the camp.

Eligible to play for both Nepal and India, the centre-back currently plays for Bolivian club Academia del Balompié Boliviano, on loan from Czech club FK Varnsdorf. His career has been entirely outside the sub-continent, notably in South America, ever since he moved to join Singaporean club Geylang International's academy as a 14-year-old, back in 2012.

The two players have skillsets that would add value to the current national team, with Williams' running power and finishing ability a notch above those in the current squad. While India is already out of contention for qualification to the AFC Asian Cup, the period before the next qualifying cycle could make for the best conditions to experiment and refresh the squad.

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