RIFC’s all-time leading scorer becomes first player in club history to earn move to Europe
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (Aug. 25, 2026) – Rhode Island FC announced today that it has transferred forward JJ Williams to Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian FC for a club-record transfer fee, pending league and federation approval. Williams, who was one of RIFC’s first signings ahead of its historic inaugural season in 2024, departs RIFC as the club’s all-time leading scorer with 30 career goals. Williams is the first player in club history to move to a European club and the second player this season to earn a transfer to a top-division side, solidifying RIFC as one of the USL Championship’s premier clubs for player development.
“It is a major milestone to become a player in the global football marketplace within three years,” said Rhode Island FC Head Coach and General Manager Khano Smith. “Preparing players to compete in Europe is proof of concept of the environment we have built at Rhode Island FC. JJ will forever be an important piece of our club’s history, and we are extremely grateful for everything he has given us over the last three seasons. We wish him the best of luck as he takes this next step in his career.”
Williams has proven himself to be one of the USL Championship’s top goalscorers during his eight-year stay in the league, scoring 62 goals and reaching the prime of his career in the Ocean State. He has led the club in scoring during all three seasons with RIFC, including his 11-goal tally midway through the 2026 campaign. In 77 appearances, Williams ranks first all-time with 30 goals, five braces and two hat tricks, and second with 13 assists across all competitions. He also leads the club with 11 selections to the USL Championship Team of the Week.
Williams’s decorated resume with the Ocean State club includes a run of eight goals in three games that helped lead RIFC on its historic run to the 2024 USL Championship Final. He recorded a first-half hat trick – the first and only such feat in club history – in RIFC’s record-breaking 8-1 win over Miami FC on the final day of the 2024 regular season. He tallied the club’s second hat trick just one game later in its 3-2 playoff win at Indy Eleven, becoming the only RIFC player to score multiple goals in three-straight games.
In 2025, Williams continued to lead the attack, adding eight goals to his career total. He finished the club’s first-ever season at Centreville Bank Stadium with a memorable performance in its 5-0 win vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies on Oct. 11, logging two goals and an assist in the first half alone.
Just over halfway through the 2026 season, Williams has already matched his career-high single-season total with the club, netting 11 goals across all competitions. He memorably scored in the final minutes of his RIFC career at Centreville Bank Stadium on Aug. 8, capping his home tenure with his club-record 30th career goal in RIFC’s 2-0 win vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC.
Williams has been one of Rhode Island FC’s most influential players in its young history, and the club is extremely grateful for his contributions on and off the field. Everyone at RIFC wishes Williams all the best as he embarks on the next chapter of his career in Scotland.
With several exciting new additions joining the club, including a pair of Major League Soccer loanees and talent from the English Football League, Rhode Island FC is confident in its ability to pursue a third-straight playoff berth while continuing to develop top-level talent.
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