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Neco Williams
NWilliams2021
Personal information
Date of Birth

13 April 2001

Place of Birth

Wrexham, Wales

Height

1.83 (6’0”)

Position

Defender

Liverpool statistics
Squad no.

76 (2019-2022)

Years

2019-2022

Appearances

33

Goals

0

Assists

4

Neco Shay Williams (born 13 April 2001) is a Welsh international footballer who played as a defender for Liverpool, having come through the academy. The defender won the FA Youth Cup, the Premier League, FIFA Club World Cup, and the EFL Cup before departing to join Nottingham Forest in 2022.

Liverpool career[]

Williams joined the Liverpool Academy at just six years old. He rose through the rank as a right winger, but was eventually moved deeper to right-back.

He made his debut for the U18s side at just 15, and quickly became a starter for the side. His development was halted however, by a back injury that ruled him out for the majority of the 2017-18 season.

Williams returned in the next season, and became a big part of the side that won the 2019 FA Youth Cup, scoring a penalty in the decisive shootout over Manchester City.

On 30 October 2019, Williams made his senior debut, starting in a League Cup tie with Arsenal. With Liverpool 5-4 down with minutes left, the youngster put an inch-perfect ball into the box that was finished by Divock Origi. The Reds then went on to win a penalty shootout to send them into the quarter-finals.

His impressive performance led to him to be included in the squad for the FIFA Club World Cup, where he picked up his first senior medal.

On 5 January 2020, Williams started in a 1-0 win in the Merseyside Derby, in the FA Cup 3rd Round. In the next round, the youngster put a cross into the box, leading to an own-goal, in a 2-2 draw with Shrewsbury. In the replay, he was part of the club’s youngest ever starting XI, and played an exceptional ball into the box, leading to another own-goal in a 1-0 win at Anfield.

On 24 June 2020, he made his Premier League debut, coming on for a lively substitute appearance in a 4-0 win over Crystal Palace. He followed this up with two more sub appearances in as many games, before making his first start on 8 July, playing the first half of a 3-1 win at Brighton as a left-back. Three days later, Williams started in a 1-1 draw against Burnley. This was his fifth Premier League appearance of the season, qualifying him for a winner’s medal.

Williams began the 2020-21 season as the Reds backup right-back, and started in the Community Shield against Arsenal. Unfortunately he was judged to be at fault for Arsenal’s opener, as the Reds lost the tie on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Due to excessive injuries at centre-back, Liverpool were offered few opportunities to rotate at full-back throughout the season, resulting in Williams making just nine starts in all competitions. His crowning moment came on 1 December 2020, as he assisted Curtis Jones’ finish in a 1-0 win over Ajax to take the Reds through to the knockout stage of the Champions League.

In the 2021-22 season, injuries cost Williams at the beginning of the season, being unavailable during Trent Alexander-Arnold’s absence. The youngster made just eight appearances in the first half of the season, with half of them as substitute appearances. Four of them did come in the EFL Cup however, including both legs of the semi-final, allowing him to claim a winners medal after the Reds beat Chelsea in the Final.

On 31 January 2022, it was confirmed that Williams was heading out on loan to Fulham for the remainder of the season. After a Championship winning spell at Fulham, Williams returned to Liverpool ahead of the 2022-23 season, but reports linked him with a move away for more game-time, with this amplifying after the signing of Calvin Ramsay at right-back.

On 11 July 2022, it was officially announced that Williams had moved to newly-promoted Nottingham Forest, for a reported fee of around £17,000,000.

Williams made 33 appearances in his time at the club, leaving as a Premier League, FIFA Club World Cup, and EFL Cup winner.

Honours[]

Liverpool[]

  • Premier League: 1 (2019-20)
  • FIFA Club World Cup: 1 (2019)
  • EFL Cup: 1 (2022)

Stats[]

Season League FA Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
2019-20 6 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 11 0
2020-21 7 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 1 0 14 0
2021-22 1 0 0 0 4 0 3 0 0 0 8 0
Total 14 0 5 0 7 0 6 0 1 0 33 0
Season Apps Goals Assists G+A
2019-20 11 0 1 1
2020-21 14 0 1 1
2021-22 8 0 2 2
Total 33 0 4 4
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