Socceroo joins Oxford United for 'best football of my career'

Fringe Socceroos midfielder Ryan Williams has joined League One promotion challengers Oxford United on a two-year deal.

Williams re-joins the club that gave him his first breakthrough in English football, after he played a sensational season on loan for the club back in 2013/14, making 34 appearances.

Williams began his career at Fulham and since leaving the club has also played for Rotherham and Barnsley, before he spent the past two years as a regular starter at Portsmouth.

His form for that club led to a Socceroos recall and debut cap in 2019, but he's been in and out of the Socceroos framework since then.

The move is a step up for Williams. Oxford finished sixth in League One last season and lost out in the promotion playoffs to eventual winner Blackpool, while Portsmouth finished eighth.

“I am really happy to be back at Oxford," he said.

"It’s a very different place now to when I arrived: the training ground, the squad, and the way the whole club is set up.

"They have gone so close to winning promotion in both of the last two seasons and they have done that by playing attacking football which I think is really going to suit me. I don’t mind my share of the hard work and I can’t wait to get back and start pre-season now.”

He also told the Oxford Mail: ‘I’m coming back a lot more experienced, I’m 27 and I believe I’ve got my best years ahead of me.

‘I’m at the peak of my physical ability and I think that’ll carry on.

‘I think I’m going to play the best football I’ve played in my career here."