Ex-Socceroos striker David Williams revelling in Indian Super League
Life in the Indian Super League has been rewarding for ex-Socceroos striker David Williams — both on and off the pitch — but he had bittersweet feelings after finally winning a trophy.
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Former Roar prodigy David Williams admits the Indian Super League final had the atmosphere of a “training game” rather than a championship decider due to the match being played in an empty stadium.
Back in Townsville with his young family, the former Socceroos attacker has bittersweet feelings about the first major title of a senior career that has also included stints in Denmark and Hungary.
However, Williams is still proud to have helped ATK to the title, which they clinched with last month’s 3-1 final win over Chennaiyin FC in Goa.
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It was the first and only match of the 2019-20 ISL season hit by coronavirus constraints preventing any supporters from attending.
“It is a great feeling, but it’s very surreal and it didn’t feel great at the time,” Williams said.
“I told the boys just before kick-off that history’s still the same, and that even though there are no fans here, no atmosphere, you’ll still get a medal and there’s still a trophy there, and that it feels like a training game, but the other team are feeling exactly the same, and we just have to be one level above them.
“We just had to do it on our own, and we did. Whether there were fans there or not, it will still say next to your name that you won a championship.”
BIZARRE BUILD-UP
Williams said the unusual preparations for the final meant he felt anything but nervous.
“We didn’t even train the day before the game,” he said. “We got in about lunchtime into Goa, went straight to the hotel, had food, and then had a bit of rest. We just used a patch of grass at the hotel, played a few little games, a few exercises and then the final the next day.
“It wasn’t a lead-up week like the grand final is in Australia. It was nothing like that. It felt like just preparing for a pre-season game. Everyone was quite relaxed, there were no nerves.”
The post-final “celebrations” were just as low key.
“We went straight from the stadium back to our hotel for dinner quickly, and then we went to the airport and we were on a 2am flight to go back to Kolkata,” Williams said.
“For me to be over there, play in front of a big crowd most games and win a trophy, it was a pretty special feeling, but it was also sad because we couldn’t celebrate with them once we got back because of the restrictions. It’s sad for the fans who couldn’t celebrate with the players, but we’ll have to win one next season again.”
INDIAN ADVENTURE TO CONTINUE
Williams has a season remaining on his ATK contract but wants to extend his deal.
“I definitely see myself staying there longer, because financially it’s why a lot of foreigners go there,” said the Brisbane-born forward who scored seven goals in his maiden ISL campaign.
“It’s going to set my life up even more if I stay there extra years. After a few months of being there we were already able to buy a house (in Townsville).
“I couldn’t have done that if I stayed in the A-League on the salary I was on.”
Williams had a season with Wellington Phoenix before his move last year to ATK.
“I felt like I had a good year at Wellington, scored enough goals to get a good (A-League) deal, but I just wasn’t offered a deal that was comfortable for me and my family,” he said.
“My wife and I still have our family financial goals to set our boys up and set myself up for after football. If I was to go an extra year in India I’d love that, if not I’d love to pick up something in the A-League.”
FRUSTRATING PERIOD
Williams rates ATK as arguably India’s most professional club largely thanks to the backing of billionaire owner Sanjiv Goenka.
“He loves football, and he doesn’t spare a cent to give the players what we need,” Williams said of Goenka. “The club looked after us very well. We all lived in a five-star hotel. The club does look after its players.”
However, Williams admitted to initially feeling unsatisfied in India and was grateful for advice from former Roar star Erik Paartalu, who has played in the ISL since 2017 for Bengaluru.
“The main thing that Erik told me before I got there was not to get frustrated,” he said.
“He said as soon as you get frustrated, you won’t enjoy it. He said as soon as you get over the frustration of the quality of some of your teammates and the referees, you can concentrate on yourself and you’ll enjoy it a lot better.
“I was frustrated for the first three weeks. It’s just so different. The pitches are much better all through Australia, also the quality of players … it gets frustrating in terms of the way training goes and the quality of the passing drills … just little things like that.
“In saying that, ATK are very professional. They have the money and resources to be where we are, the most successful ISL club.”
FUTURE GOALS
Now 32, Williams is planning for life after football, with his dream being to help indigenous youth fulfil their potential.
“I really want to focus on helping indigenous kids,” he said. “I really like the organisation Deadly Choices. They do a lot of work with NRL players. I am involved with them when I am in Brisbane, and I know they’re spreading out throughout Queensland as well.”
Williams said while many indigenous children wanted to follow in the footsteps of the rugby league heroes such as Johnathan Thurston, Greg Inglis, Josh Addo-Carr, not all would make it in the 13-man code.
“But they’re talented in other ways,” he said. “They might be good at football, they might be good at tennis, they might be good at golf, because the hand-eye co-ordination of a lot of indigenous kids is remarkable.
“I’d love to find out what they’re good at, and guide them into different sports. I want to go to a community, take every bit of sporting equipment I can, let them play and see what they’re good at because sometimes they don’t know until they try it.”
Originally published as Ex-Socceroos striker David Williams revelling in Indian Super League