Perth-born Ryan Williams scores in record breaking debut for India national team

[p]Perth-born [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/williams-ryan/rykSJSUh/"]Ryan Williams[/a], whose mother is Anglo-Indian and his father English, pounced for the opening goal in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/india/A1UUGpep/"]India[/a]'s 2-1 win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hong-kong/lhTYF4Aj/"]Hong Kong[/a] in Asian Cup qualifying on Tuesday in Kochi.[/p][p]It was the fastest goal scored by a debutant for India, whose long-suffering football fans have never seen their country reach the World Cup.[/p][p]The Hindu newspaper called it "[b]the brightest moment yet in a season of gloom for Indian football[/b]".[/p][p]Williams, who made one appearance for the senior [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/australia/xSrf6qMM/"]Australia[/a] team and has represented the Socceroos at youth level, called it "[b]a dream[/b]".[/p][p]"[b]You couldn't write it, [/b](debut) [b]in Kerala, the home of football,[/b]" the attacker and India's new hero said in a video released by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).[/p][p]"[b]It hasn't fully sunk in yet. We will spend a couple of days enjoying it."[/b][/p][embed guid="60684646-9979-4338-bb46-43ff5c66ed1b" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7QDB_GXhV8" social-type="youtube" /][p]Williams is a youth product of Championship strugglers [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/portsmouth/zckREQFJ/"]Portsmouth[/a] and has played at various clubs clubs in England's football leagues.[/p][p]He moved to India's top-tier competition, the Indian Super League, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bengaluru-fc/tCnsmWKr/"]Bengaluru FC[/a] in 2023 and has since worked to earn a national call-up while processing his Indian passport.[/p][p]He got that in November last year, setting the stage for his eagerly anticipated goal-scoring debut.[/p][p]"[b]All of my mum's family -— which is the Indian side of my family -- are in Perth. That's who I grew up with,[/b]" he said in an interview with Sportstar.[/p][p]"So when we went around my nana's (grandmother) house, it was always Indian food and loads of uncles, aunties and cousins everywhere.[/p][p]"[b]Coming to India and seeing that was kind of like putting two and two together[/b]."[/p][embed guid="6b3852a8-b686-4544-b2ec-784927b4df53" url="https://x.com/football360au/status/2039123068933869859" social-type="twitter" /][p]Despite the euphoria over Williams's debut India finished bottom of their qualifying group.[/p][p]The victory over Hong Kong was India's only win in six group games.[/p][p]The country of 1.4 billion people is a lowly 136th in the FIFA rankings, a spot above [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/latvia/WC2jLpW4/"]Latvia[/a] (population 1.9 million).[/p][p]In the build-up to the match coach [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/al-ghannam-khalid/6ywwPpM4/"]Khalid Jamil[/a] and several players were locked out of their own stadium after the state association failed to pay a security deposit.[/p]