Football is a popular sport in India, but the country has not produced many players who have made a mark on the international stage. However, there are some Indian origin footballers who have represented other countries or played for foreign clubs in various leagues. These players have shown their skills and talent in different parts of the world, and have brought pride to their ancestral roots. In this article, we will look at some of the most prominent Indian-origin footballers who are testing international waters.
Vikash Dhorasoo
Vikash Dhorasoo is a former French professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He was born on October 10, 1973, in Harfleur, France.
Dhorasoo spent most of his career with Lyon, winning Ligue 1 twice in 2003 and 2004, and also had a loan at Bordeaux and a spell at Paris Saint-Germain, who dismissed him in October 2006. He also played for AC Milan and Livorno. Internationally, Dhorasoo earned 18 caps and scored once for France from 1999 to 2006.
He was part of their team that came runners-up at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. After retiring from football, Dhorasoo turned to filmmaking. He is of Indo-Mauritian origin, and his Telugu-speaking ancestors hailed from Andhra Pradesh.
Tanvie Hans
Tanvie Hans is a British professional footballer who plays as a midfielder. She was born in Delhi to Punjabi parents and has played for English clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham, as well as for Indian clubs such as Sethu FC and Misaka United in the Karnataka Women’s League.
She is also a Nike athlete and is passionate about promoting women’s football and sports in India. Hans has been an advocate for getting more women involved in football and sports in general. She has also been involved in filmography, with a role in the 2019 film “Bigil.”
Mal Benning
Mal Benning, also known as Malvind Singh Benning, is an English professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Shrewsbury Town in EFL League One. He was born on November 2, 1993, in Sandwell, England. Benning began his career with Walsall and had loan spells with Evesham United and York City. He made his debut in the English Football League at Walsall in November 2012 and went on to feature before signing with Mansfield Town in May 2015. He spent six seasons with Mansfield, making 251 appearances in all competitions. Benning has also been an advocate for promoting diversity and inclusion in football, and has spoken about his Sikh faith.
Rhys Williams (soccer, born 1988)
Rhys Williams, born on 14 July 1988, is a retired professional footballer from Australia. He was known for his versatility on the field, having played as a centre back, defensive midfielder, and right back. He was even deployed in virtually every outfield position at some point for Middlesbrough, including more attacking roles.
Williams started his senior career at Middlesbrough, where he made 126 appearances and scored 5 goals from 2007 to 2016. He also had loan spells at Burnley and Charlton Athletic during this period. After leaving Middlesbrough, he played for Perth Glory, Melbourne Victory, Al-Qadsiah, and Western Sydney Wanderers.
On the international stage, Williams represented Australia, earning 14 caps. He was also the captain of Middlesbrough and Western Sydney Wanderers.
His mother originates from Mumbai, India while his father was born in Kent, England. His younger brothers, twins Ryan Williams and Aryn Williams, are also footballers.
Neil Taylor
Neil John Taylor is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a left-back. He was born on February 7, 1989, in Swansea, Wales.
Taylor began his career with Swansea City and later played for Aston Villa, Wrexham, and Middlesbrough. On the international stage, Taylor represented Wales, earning 43 caps. He was part of their squad which reached the semi-finals at UEFA Euro 2016, and also represented Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics.Taylor was born to a Bengali mother from Kolkata, and he was one of a relatively small number of British Asians in professional football. His position was primarily as a left-back.
Harmeet Singh
Harmeet Singh is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Sandefjord. He was born on November 12, 1990, in Norway. Singh has represented Norway at various youth levels, including the U15, U16, U17, U18, U19, and U21 teams. He has also played for Norwegian clubs like Vålerenga Fotball and Feyenoord.
He was born and raised in Oslo, Norway, to Indian parents who moved to Norway from Ludhiana, in the northern Indian state of Punjab, in the 1980s.
Singh has been dubbed by some European media outlets as the “Norwegian Iniesta” and has expressed his desire to inspire other Indians to get onto the pitch. Singh attributes his strong work ethic to his parents’ hard graft and his grandparents’ efforts to instill discipline in him.
While Singh is of Indian origin, he was born and raised in Norway and has represented Norway at various youth levels.
Netan Sansara
Netan Nico Sansara is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Råde. He has previously played for Walsall, Dundee, AFC Telford United, Corby Town, PAEEK FC, FC Vestsjælland, Fredrikstad, and FC Edmonton.
Sansara was born in Darlaston, West Midlands. His parents were born in Britain and are of Indian descent. He is the first player of full Asian descent to be capped at England U18 and U19 level.
He made his Walsall debut on 9 August 2008 in the League One game with Yeovil Town which ended in a 1–1 draw. He was handed a professional contract at the age of 17, by then Walsall manager Richard Money, after impressing him during youth team and reserve team games.
In 2010, he spent two months playing for Scottish First Division side Dundee, then moved back to England and finished the season with AFC Telford Utd and then Corby Town. In 2011, he joined Cyprus second division side PAEEK FC as the first-ever British Asian footballer to play on the island of Cyprus.
Sansara is known for his strong and pacy play as a left-back and can also play as a central defender. He has made a total of 169 appearances and scored 8 goals in his career.
Joshua Pynadath
Joshua Pynadath is an American professional soccer player who was born on February 20, 2002, in Mountain View, California. He plays as a forward for Eerste Divisie team Jong AZ.
Pynadath, who was born to an Indian father and European American mother, started playing soccer at a young age and has been capped by the United States at the U15, U17, and U18 levels.
Pynadath started playing soccer at Red Star Soccer Academy in his youth. In 2013, he made headlines when Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid showed interest in signing him into their youth systems. Pynadath ended up signing with Real Madrid, becoming the first American—and the first player of Indian descent—ever to join the club’s youth program. In 2015, Pynadath moved to the Netherlands and joined the Ajax youth system.
On September 16, 2019, he made his professional debut when he came on as a substitute for Jong Ajax in an Eerste Divisie match against Jong PSV. On April 9, 2020, it was announced that Pynadath had decided to leave the Ajax Youth Academy at the age of 18, seeking to play in a higher competition. After seemingly going missing for over a year, it was reported that Pynadath was trialing with Chelsea.
On June 30, 2022, Pynadath signed a two-year contract at AZ Alkmaar, joining its second team. He made his Eerste Divisie debut for Jong AZ on 16 August, 2022 in a 2-0 victory against NAC Breda.
Omid Singh
Omid Singh, is an Iranian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Havadar in the Persian Gulf Pro League and was born in Behbahan, Khuzestan, Iran.
Singh began his professional career playing for Gahar Zagros in the 2012–13 Persian Gulf Pro League. He then joined Naft Masjed the following season, and played in the Azadegan League. In 2016, he joined Esteghlal Khuzestan and won his maiden Persian Gulf Pro League title. He joined Pars Jonoubi Jam the following season and played a pivotal role as Pars Jonoubi Jam won the Azadegan League title for the first time in their history.
On April 5, 2020, it was announced that then I-League side East Bengal FC roped in Singh on a two-year deal, however, he has never appeared with the club in any league match. On July 14, 2021, FIFA asked SC East Bengal to pay the salary of Singh after the club refused to pay it. He currently plays for Persian Iranian football club Havadar S.C. in the Persian Gulf Pro League.
Singh was born and raised in Khuzestan, Iran. However, his father is a Punjabi Sikh and carries an Indian passport, which makes him eligible to represent the India national team. In 2019, Singh expressed his desire to give up on his Iranian passport and play for India after the national team coach Igor Štimac called him. He also holds the Overseas Citizenship of India card.
Luciano Narsingh
Luciano Narsingh is a Dutch professional footballer born on September 13, 1990, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He is known for his versatility as a winger and has played for various clubs throughout his career, including Heerenveen, PSV, Swansea City, and Nea Salamina. Narsingh has also been a part of the Dutch national team, representing the country at the 2012 European Championships. Despite being born in the Netherlands, Narsingh comes from a family of Surinamese and Indian origin.
He is right-footed and usually plays as a right winger but can also play as a left winger, and both sides of attacking midfield.
Michael Chopra
Michael Chopra is a retired English professional footballer who played as a striker for various clubs throughout his career, including Newcastle United, Sunderland, Cardiff City, and Kerala Blasters FC. He was born on December 23, 1983, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Chopra has also been associated with West Allotment Celtic.
Michael Chopra is of Indian origin. He was born and raised in the UK, but his father is of Indian descent. Despite his Indian heritage, Chopra did not have Indian citizenship and was not eligible to play for the Indian national team. However, he has expressed his desire to promote football in India and has played in the Indian Super League for Kerala Blasters FC
Harpreet Ghotra
Harpreet Singh Ghotra, born on January 17, 2003, is a professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Eintracht Frankfurt II in the Regionalliga Südwest, the fourth tier of German football. He joined the club on July 1, 2022, and his contract expires on June 30, 2024.
Ghotra was born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He started his youth career at Kickers Offenbach (2014-2015) before moving to Eintracht Frankfurt (2015-2022).
He primarily operates as a defensive pivot in the midfield. He has played 1055 minutes in 19 matches in the U-17 Bundesliga for Frankfurt’s U-17 side and has also provided one assist. His market value is estimated to be around €100k. He is right-footed and stands 1.80 meters tall.
Ghotra is of Indian origin, as his father is of Indian descent and is eligible to represent India.
Dilan Markanday
Dilan Kumar Markanday, known as Dilan Markanday, is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger for EFL Championship side Blackburn Rovers. Born on August 20, 2001, in London, England, Markanday is of Indian origin, as his parents are Indian.
He is a youth academy graduate of Tottenham Hotspur and made his professional debut for the club on October 21, 2021, in a UEFA Europa Conference League match against Vitesse.
Markanday joined Blackburn Rovers on January 18, 2022, on a three-and-a-half-year contract with an option to extend for twelve months. He has also had loan spells at Aberdeen
Danny Batth
Danny Batth is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for EFL Championship club Norwich City.
Born on September 21, 1990, in Brierley Hill, England, Batth is of Indian origin, as his father is of Indian descent.
He began his career with his local side Wolverhampton Wanderers, joining their youth academy as a teenager. He spent time out on loan at Colchester United, Sheffield United, and Sheffield Wednesday (twice) to gain first-team experience.
He broke into Wolves’ first team in the 2012–13 season, and was made captain by Kenny Jackett for the 2013–14 season as Wolves won the League One title, with Batth being named in the PFA Team of the Year. After being omitted from Nuno Espírito Santo’s Premier League squad, Batth joined Middlesbrough on loan in August 2018. He moved to Stoke City in January 2019 for a fee of £3 million. Batth spent three years at Stoke, making 107 appearances, before joining Sunderland in January 2022. He joined Norwich City in 2023.
Roy Krishna
Roy Krishna is a Fijian professional footballer who was born on August 30, 1987, in Labasa, Fiji. He is known for his prolific goal-scoring ability and plays as a striker for Indian Super League club Odisha FC.
Krishna, who is of Fijian nationality, has also represented the Fiji national team and is considered one of the country’s most successful and well-known footballers. He has a strong presence on social media, particularly on Twitter, where he shares insights into his career and personal life.
Vansh Shrisvastava
Vansh Shrisvastava is an Indian footballer who currently plays for União Desportiva Algés in Portugal and Castelo Forte FC in the AF Lisboa 2° Divisão. He was born on January 22, 1991.
Shrisvastava is originally from New Delhi, India, and he played for RAI International School and his college RIET. He moved to Germany to participate in the IFX Pro Year Germany program. After having successful football trials, he found a fitting option with SV Burggrafenhof for his further career.
In his first match with SV Burggrafenhof, he played against the then league leader SV Poppenreuth. He had an outstanding performance and helped his team secure a wild 6-5 win over the opponent. His signing marked another successful placement of an Indian footballer in Germany under IFX Soccer’s guidance.
Andrew Kyle Silva
Andrew Kyle Silva is a 27-year-old former football (soccer) player who was born on December 20, 1996, in Mumbai, India. He played as a midfielder and is associated with Castelo Forte FC.
Dron Bhardwaj
Dron Bhardwaj is an Indian footballer who plays for SV Burggrafenhof, a team in the Kreisliga (Nürnberg), Germany. He was born on January 22, 1991.
Bhardwaj is originally from New Delhi, India, and he played for RAI International School and his college RIET. He moved to Germany to participate in the IFX Pro Year Germany program. After having successful football trials, he found a fitting option with SV Burggrafenhof for his further career.
In his first match with SV Burggrafenhof, he played against the then league leader SV Poppenreuth. He had an outstanding performance and helped his team secure a wild 6-5 win over the opponent. His signing marked another successful placement of an Indian footballer in Germany under IFX Soccer’s guidance.
Yan Dhanda
Yan Dhanda, born on December 14, 1998, is an English professional footballer who currently plays for Scottish Premiership side Ross County as an attacking midfielder. He is a former England under-17 international.
Dhanda was born in Birmingham, and grew up in Tipton.
His mother is from England while his father was born in England to parents from Punjab, India. He began his youth career at West Bromwich Albion before moving to Liverpool, spending five years in the youth ranks at Anfield.
In May 2018, he left Liverpool to join Championship club Swansea City where he was originally expected to be with the Under 23s. Dhanda made his debut as a substitute for Swansea on August 4, 2018 against Sheffield United in a 2–1 win, scoring the winner with his first touch only moments after entering the field.
On June 21, 2022, Dhanda signed a two-year contract with Highland-based Scottish Premiership team Ross County.
Dhanda has represented the England U16 and England U17’s at international level. He later expressed his desire of representing India internationally. Dhanda is of Indian Punjabi Sikh heritage through his father. He has said that the racism he has encountered as a British Asian footballer inspires him to play at his best.
Sarpreet Singh
Sarpreet Singh is a 24-year-old professional footballer from New Zealand who plays as an attacking midfielder for FC Hansa Rostock.
He was born on February 20, 1999, in Auckland, New Zealand, to Indian parents. Singh began his youth career at Onehunga Sports before signing for Wellington Phoenix Academy in 2015. He made his competitive senior debut for the Wellington Phoenix in 2016 and spent another three seasons with the club, becoming a regular starter. In 2019, Singh signed for Bayern Munich, where he played for the reserves and made his first-team debut in a friendly match against Arsenal.
He joined FC Hansa Rostock in July 2023 on a three-year contract.
He is of Indian origin and has expressed his pride in his heritage, stating that he wants to inspire young Indian footballers to pursue their dreams. Singh became the first player of Indian descent to play in the German Bundesliga when he made his debut for Bayern Munich in 2019.
