Season › 2016-17 › News

Williams wants to make Blues fans proud

Ashley Williams says that he wants to bring to Evertonians the same thrills that Wales gave their supporters on their magical run to the semi-finals of Euro2016 over the summer.

The defender captained the Welsh side through an impressive tournament that almost ended with an improbable place in the final but they were beaten by eventual winners Portugal.

Since then, Williams has ended his long-time association with Swansea City where he made well over 300 appearances and opted for a new challenge at Everton, one that he is really enjoying.

The Blues have had a patchy first quarter of the Premier League campaign but Williams is eager to reward the “incredible” support from Everton's fans by giving them something to celebrate.

"When you come to a new club there's a real desire to impress everyone and you have to get your head down and start again from scratch. I've enjoyed that challenge,” the 32-year-old told the Liverpool Echo.

"I've enjoyed working hard in training and focusing on the challenge we've set ourselves as a team and that is competing for European football.

"Obviously, I had the experience of getting to the semi-finals of the Euros with Wales in the summer and that was immense for the whole of the country, the pride that generated in people.

"That's the kind of thing we want to do here at Everton."

Williams suggests that while the Toffees are a bigger club than Swansea. with whom he ascended to the Premier League after signing from Stockport County, he has joined a club similarly in touch with its supporters and the local area.

"What I've loved since coming here is that Everton is rooted in family and community," the Wales skipper continued.

"The passion that supporters have for the Club is incredible and you see it and feel it when Goodison is packed for every game and when the away ends are bursting at places like The Etihad and everywhere we go, no matter the game, no matter the distance.

"It gives players a real impetus — certainly, it's done that for me.”

While the summer was a career highlight for Williams, he is keen for another international adventure with his country, this time at the World Cup for which they haven't qualified since 1958.

Their qualification campaign for Russia 2018 has not gone as well as the one that swept them to France for this year's European Championships, however, and Wales currently sit in third place in Group D, two points behind Serbia and four behind leaders Ireland.

Williams is under no illusions about how tough it will be to qualify but he is confident his nation can do it.

"They will all be big games to come. But we feel we have enough in our dressing room to win all of them if that is what we have to do," he told the BBC after the frustrating 1-1 draw with the Serbs in Cardiff this past weekend.

"We have to take the positives from the game. We haven't lost yet in the campaign and feel like we can beat any team.

"I think it will be a close group right up until the end. It is not all doom and gloom. It is just a frustrating night," Williams said.

"All of the remaining games are big now. They were before, but now the more it goes on, they turn into must-wins.”

 

---

---

Reader Comments (16)

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer

About these ads