In September 2024, Bengaluru FC winger Ryan Williams was a pissed off man. After struggling a muscle harm in the ISL season-opener, the Aussie missed six straight video games.
From the sidelines he noticed BFC notch up 5 spectacular victories and a draw, propelled as the outfit was by the vibrant trio of Alberto Noguera, Edgar Mendez and Jorge Pereyra Diaz. The 31-yr-previous was left questioning if he would ever be again in beginning XI.
Six months since then, Williams is amongst BFC’s main lights. He has featured in every of the facet’s final 17 ISL video games, scored six targets and assisted 4. As BFC readies itself for the single-legged playoff in opposition to Mumbai City FC right here on Saturday, Williams is about to be the creative spark.
“It was disappointing to miss a few games, and in the charts, you always want to be top,” Williams informed The Hindu. “But personally, to get 10 goal involvements is good. I am happy.”
Williams, in truth, has performed an enormous position in BFC’s revival. Last season, the membership completed a lowly tenth, didn’t gather a single away win and scored a document-low 20 targets. In 2024-25, regardless of a protracted wobble in the center of the marketing campaign and the absence of Pereyra Diaz for the final two months, it was third after the league stage and located the web 40 instances.
“What killed us last year was that we didn’t have a No.9,” Williams opined. “Sunil [Chhetri] is obviously a No. 9 but he is better off coming in from the left to the back post which is where he has scored most of his goals this season. We spoke about putting the ball there and he has been there [to finish].”
In the course of, Williams has additionally helped enthuse the BFC fanbase after the dreary 2023-24. Like his idol Thierry Henry, he loves operating at defenders and dribbling previous them, all with the hope that he can unleash the Arsenal legend’s signature end into the far-nook, albeit together with his left-foot.
“When people come to watch me, I want to get their “bums off the seats”, as they are saying in the UK,” mentioned Williams, who has performed for giant English sides like Portsmouth and Fulham.
“I want people to see me as exciting. Ask any fullback… they hate players who run at them. If I lose the ball five times, that doesn’t bother me, because I am in the team to create and it is one of the hardest things to do.”
If he can handle it once more versus Mumbai, the Sree Kanteerava trustworthy can be mighty grateful.
Published – March 27, 2025 09:34 pm IST
