He struggled for Portsmouth and Rotherham - Now he's the star of a nation of 1.4 billion | OneFootball

Ryan Williams struggled in spells with Portsmouth, Rotherham, Barnsley, and Oxford, before now shining in India

Portsmouth and Rotherham United are currently separated by two divisions, and though both will have different expectations and hopes for the 2026/27 campaign, both will be sharing similar shock at the career trajectory of one of their former players.

Portsmouth are into their third consecutive season in the Championship, as John Mousinho looks to continue to maintain Pompey's place in the second tier and build upon the foundations that have been set at Fratton Park.

Meanwhile, Rotherham are playing their first year back in the fourth tier since 2013, as the Millers will be hoping to make their time spent in League Two as short as possible under Alex Bruce.

Both will, of course, be aiming for promotion; as though a gulf in quality currently divides the two clubs, both will surely be surprised at the career trajectory of former forward, Ryan Williams.

Ryan Williams began his career with Portsmouth before joining Fulham shortly after

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Williams, 32, began his professional career with Portsmouth in 2010, having been born and raised in Australia, but after just a couple of years on the English South Coast, Premier League side Fulham would pick him up in 2012.

The forward, capable of playing on either flank or through the middle, would initially link up with the Cottagers' youth side before heading out on loan to each of Gillingham, Oxford United, and Barnsley, each to varying degrees of success.

However, he would impress during his one-month loan at Oakwell, leading Barnsley to bring the Australian-born player to South Yorkshire permanently in the summer of 2015.

Ryan Williams would spend time with the likes of Oxford United, Rotherham United, Barnsley, and Portsmouth once more before returning to Australia

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Upon his permanent move to Barnsley, Williams would find game time difficult to come by, making just 21 league appearances across the next two years for the Tykes, before making the move down the road to Rotherham, where his career finally began to take off.

Williams would grab 11 goal contributions across 45 League One games in the 2017/18 campaign, helping the club earn promotion to the Championship, and continued to feature regularly in the second tier the year after, before once again being on the move, this time heading back to Portsmouth.

He'd spend the next two years in the third tier with Pompey, making 85 appearances across all competitions at Fratton Park, as Oxford sought to bring the forward back to the club in 2021.

Following just one year at the Kassam Stadium, Williams' time in England had come to an end, as he headed back to Australia with Perth Glory in 2022, and his career has taken an incredible turn since.

Ryan Williams has become a hero for the Indian national team and Bengaluru

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As he has throughout most of his career, Williams didn't stick around in Western Australia for too long, as Indian Super League outfit Bengaluru, then managed by former Leeds United, Preston North End, Sunderland, and Blackpool boss Simon Grayson, brought the forward to Karnataka.

Williams was born in Australia to English and Anglo-Indian parents, making him eligible for Australia, England, Wales, and India, and after two years in the Asian nation, he acquired his Indian citizenship.

He scored against Bhutan on his unofficial debut for the Blue Tigers and has since gone on to make three official caps for his adopted nation, scoring twice and becoming a hero to a nation of over 1.4 billion people.

At club level, Williams is thriving for Bengaluru in the Indian top flight, and seems to have found a real home for himself in the Asian nation, having previously struggled in spells in all three EFL divisions.

Certainly, his career has taken a big twist in the past few years, but one for the better, as those at his former clubs may be looking on surprised.

Portsmouth and Rotherham United will be watching Ryan Williams' career progression with surprise

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Portsmouth and Rotherham saw the most of Williams out of the English clubs that he played for during his stay in the EFL, and whilst he was never the worst player on the pitch, his overall impact left a lot to be desired.

Now, the forward is the star player of a nation of over a billion people, and had you told supporters of any of his previous clubs that he would go on to achieve this feat, they would surely have laughed in your face.