Iñaki Williams

Iñaki Williams
Williams in 2015
Personal information
Full name Iñaki Williams Arthuer
Date of birth (1994-06-15) 15 June 1994
Place of birth Bilbao, Spain
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position Forward
Club information
Current team
 Athletic Bilbao
Number 9
Youth career
Natación Pamplona
2009–2012 Pamplona
2012–2013 Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2014 Basconia 18 (7)
2014–2015 Bilbao Athletic 32 (21)
2014– Athletic Bilbao 120 (21)
National team‡
2015–2017 Spain U21 17 (3)
2016– Spain 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 09:55, 23 May 2018 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 30 June 2017

Iñaki Williams Arthuer (Basque: [iɲaki wilians̺]; Spanish: [iˈɲaki ˈwiljans]; born 15 June 1994) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Athletic Bilbao as a forward.[1]

Club career

Born in Bilbao, Biscay to Liberian parents,[2][3] Williams spent much of his childhood in Pamplona[4] and was playing youth football with local CD Pamplona in 2012 when he was spotted by Athletic Bilbao, who signed him to their youth setup at Lezama at the age of 18. He spent his first season with the Juvenil A side and made a big impression, scoring at the rate of almost a goal a game (eventually ending with 36); the team finished runners-up in the Copa del Rey Juvenil de Fútbol,[5] and on 25 June 2013 he signed a new contract with the Basque club, running until 2017.[6]

Williams began 2013–14 playing with CD Basconia, the farm team who competed in Tercera División. After suffering a knee injury in August,[7] he returned to activity in October, made his debut as a senior and marked it with a goal.[4] He was immediately called upon by the reserves in Segunda División B and by the end of the same month had played his first match and scored his first goals at that level; he spent the campaign alternating between both squads.

At the start of 2014–15, Williams scored a hat-trick for Bilbao Athletic in a 4–0 win over SD Amorebieta,[8] and followed this on 7 September 2014 with another treble in a 5–1 rout of SD Leioa.[9] Despite only playing the first half of the season, his 13 goals from 18 appearances helped the team ascend to Segunda División.

On 6 December 2014, after profiting from Aritz Aduriz's injury,[10] Williams made his first-team – and La Liga – debut, starting in a 0–1 home loss against Córdoba CF.[11] He netted his first goal on 19 February of the following year, starting and contributing to a 2–2 draw at Torino F.C. for the UEFA Europa League's round-of-32,[12] becoming in the process the first black player to score for the club.[13]

On 17 May 2015, Williams scored his first goal in the top flight, netting a last-minute winner in a 3–2 away success over Elche CF to help Athletic come from behind 0–2.[14] Thirteen days later, he headed a consolation goal in the 1–3 loss to FC Barcelona in the final of the Copa del Rey at the Camp Nou.[15]

Williams scored a brace before giving away a penalty in Athletic's 3–1 win away to Real Betis, on 1 November 2015.[16] He repeated the feat the following match, at home against FK Partizan in the Europa League group stage (5–1).[17] Finding the net in his third match running, he scored "a phenomenal volley" to help beat RCD Espanyol 2–1 at the San Mamés.[18]

Williams playing for Athletic Bilbao in 2018

In late January 2016, having been scouted by the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, Williams agreed to an extension of his contract until 2021. The deal included a €50 million buyout clause.[19] He was sent off on 6 February at the end of a goalless home draw with Villarreal CF, together with opponent Daniele Bonera.[20]

During autumn 2017, Williams scored important late goals in the Europa League against Östersunds FK[21] and Hertha BSC[22] to help his team finish top of the group. On 17 January 2018, he agreed a contract renewal, running until 2025 with an incremental buyout clause of around €80 million.[23]

International career

On 20 March 2015, Williams received his first international call-up, being named in Albert Celades' Spain under-21 squad for friendlies with Norway and Belarus.[24] He made his debut on the 26th against the former, replacing goalscorer Munir El Haddadi at half-time of a 2–0 friendly win in Cartagena.[25]

Williams was one of 11 stand-by players for Vicente del Bosque's Spain squad at UEFA Euro 2016.[26] Around the same time, he was also coveted by the Ghanaian national team by their Spanish scout Gerard Nus.[27] He made his debut for the former on 29 May, replacing fellow debutant Marco Asensio at the hour mark of a 3–1 friendly defeat of Bosnia and Herzegovina.[28]

Career statistics

Club

As of 22 May 2018[29][30]
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
LeagueAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Basconia 2013–14 Tercera División 187——187
Total 1870000187
Bilbao Athletic 2013–14 Segunda División B 148——148
2014–15 1813——1813
Total 322100003221
Athletic Bilbao 2014–15 La Liga 1914121253
2015–16 25853723713
2016–17 3853281498
2017–18 387101335210
Total 1202113630716334
Career total 1704913630721362

References

  1. ↑ "Iñaki Williams, la pantera de Lezama" [Iñaki Williams, Lezama's panther]. La República (in Spanish). 7 May 2015. Archived from the original on 12 August 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  2. ↑ "Williams set to be called up for the Champions League". Diario AS. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  3. ↑ "El cuento de hadas de Iñaki Williams" [The fairytale story of Iñaki Williams]. El País (in Spanish). 21 August 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Iñaki Williams regresa con gol" [Iñaki Williams returns with a goal]. El Correo (in Spanish). 15 October 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  5. ↑ "El Madrid gana la Copa juvenil veinte años después" [Madrid win the 'Copa Juvenil' after 20 years]. Marca (in Spanish). 29 June 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  6. ↑ "El Athletic blinda a una de sus joyas del juvenil: Iñaki Williams" [Athletic shield one of their youth squad gems: Iñaki Williams]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 25 June 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  7. ↑ "Iñaki Williams, de 2 a 5 meses de baja" [Iñaki Williams, from 2 to 5 months out]. El Correo (in Spanish). 15 August 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  8. ↑ "Williams, con tres goles, abandera a un letal Bilbao Athletic" [Williams, with three goals, spearheads a lethal Bilbao Athletic] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 25 August 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  9. ↑ "El Athletic comienza el blindaje de Iñaki Williams" [Athletic start shielding Iñaki Williams] (in Spanish). Goal. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  10. ↑ "Vía libre para el joven Iñaki Williams por la lesión de Aduriz" [Freeway to young Iñaki Williams due to Aduriz's injury]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 5 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  11. ↑ "Ghilas devuelve la sonrisa al Córdoba" [Ghilas brings the smiles back to Córdoba]. Marca (in Spanish). 6 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  12. ↑ "Honours even between Torino and Athletic". UEFA. 19 February 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  13. ↑ "Inaki Williams becomes first black Athletic Bilbao goalscorer in 117-year history". Sky Sports. 20 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  14. ↑ "Williams señala a Europa" [Williams points to Europe]. Marca (in Spanish). 17 May 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  15. ↑ "Lionel Messi double gives Barcelona Cup final win over Athletic Bilbao". The Guardian. 30 May 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  16. ↑ "Williams fires improving Bilbao to victory at Betis". Eurosport. 1 November 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  17. ↑ "Williams at the double as Athletic go clear". UEFA. 5 November 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  18. ↑ "Inaki Williams scores phenomenal volley for Athletic Bilbao against Espanyol". Sky Sports. 8 November 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  19. ↑ Aarons, Ed (21 January 2016). "Athletic Bilbao's Iñaki Williams signs new contract with €50m release clause". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  20. ↑ "Torres grabs 100th Atletico goal in win over Eibar". Reuters. 6 February 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  21. ↑ "An English coach in Europe: Graham Potter on his Swedish renaissance with Östersunds". The Independent. 2 November 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  22. ↑ "Hertha Berlin suffer costly Europa League defeat to Bilbao". Bundesliga. 23 November 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  23. ↑ "Iñaki Williams's contract renewal". Athletic Bilbao. 17 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  24. ↑ "Williams, a la sub-21" [Williams, to the under-21]. El País (in Spanish). 20 March 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  25. ↑ Muñoz, Antonio D. (26 March 2015). "Spain beats Norway and strengthens the team (2–0)". Royal Spanish Football Federation. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  26. ↑ "Euro 2016: Costa and Mata dropped from Spain's provisional squad". Yahoo Sports. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  27. ↑ Narkortu Teye, Prince (2 May 2016). "Gerard Nus: Inaki Williams could play for Ghana". Goal. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  28. ↑ "Nolito endulza un duelo atípico" [Nolito sweetens an atypical duel]. Marca (in Spanish). 29 May 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  29. ↑ "Iñaki Williams". Soccerway. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  30. ↑ "Williams". Athletic Bilbao. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
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