Ryan Williams' versatility will help national team: Jamil

Panaji: The national football team could have an entirely different look if, as expected, more players follow in the footsteps of Ryan Williams, who has surrendered his Australian citizenship and taken up an Indian passport to be eligible to represent the country.Coach Khalid Jamil will also have a look at Nepal-born Abneet Bharti, currently plying his trade for Academia del Balompie Boliviano in the Bolivian Premier Division. The players are expected to join the national team camp in Bengaluru, and should they impress the coach, they’ll be on the flight to Dhaka for the AFC Asian Cup final round qualifier against Bangladesh on Nov 18.“The inclusion of these players is a good start,” Jamil told TOI over the phone on Friday.

“There are four to five other players who we will call in the future. For now, we will have these two players at the camp.”Given the lack of goalscorers, the inclusion of Williams, a junior international with Australia, and now an established winger will provide more options upfront. The Bengaluru FC captain scored three goals in as many games for his club in the Super Cup, as Jamil watched from the stands in Goa.“Ryan will be useful for the national team. He now has an Indian passport and is into his third season with Bengaluru FC.

He is experienced, and his versatility in particular is very good,” said Jamil.Williams, 32, has played once before for the Australian national team against South Korea in a non-competitive game and made a move to Bengaluru, from A-League side Perth Glory, in 2023.Jamil has only watched Bharti’s videos from his recent performances in the Bolivian top division and believes the centre-back, who had a brief spell with Kerala Blasters in the past, can be a good addition to the team.“I have seen his videos (of training) and some games too. Let’s have a look at him (during the camp) and then we can decide,” said Jamil, about the 27-year-old who has had an unconventional career across Asia, Europe, and South America.The inclusion of the new players, particularly Williams, has got Indian football buzzing with former captain Sunil Chhetri among those who believes there can be a new beginning.“We now have No. 9, someone who we can rely on. He’s somebody who has goals in him, an absolutely brilliant boy.

I hope he wins the dressing room, and I hope he wins the heart of the Indian people,” said Chhetri.Chhetri, India’s highest goal-scorer and most-capped footballer, said his Bengaluru teammate had told him about wanting to surrender his Australian citizenship for an Indian passport nearly 18 months ago.“At that time, he wasn’t sure that he can play for the country,” said Chhetri. “I asked him, ‘you want to leave your passport?’ He said yes. I told Kalyan da (Kalyan Chaubey, president of the All India Football Federation) let’s take it step by step, give it a push, make it happen. This is the first time in my life that I heard of a player, a foreigner, who wanted to give up his passport and play for India.”