Nico Williams

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Not to be confused with Neco Williams.
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Williams and the second or maternal family name is Arthuer.
Nico Williams
Personal information
Full name Nicholas Williams Arthuer
Date of birth (2002-07-12) 12 July 2002 (age 19)
Place of birth Pamplona, Spain
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Winger
Club information
Current team
 Athletic Bilbao
Number 30
Youth career
2012–2013 Osasuna
2013–2019 Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2020 Basconia 4 (0)
2020–2021 Bilbao Athletic 26 (9)
2021– Athletic Bilbao 23 (0)
National team‡
2020 Spain U18 4 (2)
2021– Spain U21 5 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10:32, 9 January 2022 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 10:32, 4 January 2022 (UTC)

Nicholas Williams Arthuer (born 12 July 2002), known as Williams Jr., is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a winger for Athletic Bilbao.

Club career[]

Born in Pamplona, Navarre, Williams joined the youth academy of Athletic Bilbao in 2013 from hometown side CA Osasuna.[1] He began his senior career with the club's farm team, Basconia, during the 2019–20 season.[2]

On 11 May 2020, Williams was promoted to the reserve team in the Segunda División B.[3] He made his first team – and La Liga – debut on 28 April of the following year, coming on as a second-half substitute for Jon Morcillo in a 2–2 home draw against Real Valladolid;[4] his brother Iñaki also came off the bench ten minutes later. It was the first time two siblings had been on the pitch at the same time for the club since Julio and Patxi Salinas in 1986.[5]

Williams scored his first two goals for the Lions on 6 January 2022, in a 2–0 win over Atlético Mancha Real in the campaign's Copa del Rey.[6] Seven days later, he scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory over Atlético Madrid in the semi-final of the 2021–22 Supercopa de España.[7]

On 20 January 2022, Williams was given a first team contract after meeting a number of clauses.[8]

International career[]

Williams first represented Spain with the under-18 squad in 2020, scoring two goals in four games.[9] He was called up to the Spain under-19s in February 2021,[10] and made his debut for the under-21s in September of the same year.[11]

Personal life[]

Williams was born in Pamplona, Spain, to Ghanaian parents who were seeking asylum from the Liberian Civil War.[12][13] Nico's older brother, Iñaki Williams, is also a footballer and a forward; he too was brought up at Athletic Bilbao.[14][15]

Career statistics[]

Club[]

As of match played 22 January 2022[16]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Copa del Rey Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Basconia 2019–20 Tercera Division 4 0 — — 4 0
Athletic Bilbao B 2020–21 Segunda Division B 26 9 — — 26 9
Athletic Bilbao 2020–21 La Liga 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
2021–22 La Liga 21 0 2 2 2[a] 1 25 3
Total 23 0 2 2 2 1 27 3
Career total 53 9 2 2 2 1 57 12
  1. ^ Appearance in Supercopa de España

See also[]

  • Afro-Spaniard

References[]

  1. ^ Rabuñal, Iago Castro (8 May 2020). "Nico Williams, la nueva gran promesa del Athletic" [Nico Williams, the new great promise of Athletic] (in Spanish).
  2. ^ "Nico Williams sube al filial e Iñaki le espera pronto a su lado" [Nico Williams goes up to the subsidiary and Iñaki will be waiting for him soon by his side]. AS.com (in Spanish). 11 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Nico Williams y Nico Serrano, al Bilbao Athletic" [Nico Williams and Nico Serrano, to Bilbao Athletic]. Athletic Club website (in Spanish). 11 May 2020.
  4. ^ "Athletic Club vs. Real Valladolid". Soccerway. 28 April 2021.
  5. ^ "Draw against Real Valladolid at San Mamés". Athletic Club website. 28 April 2021.
  6. ^ "Nico Williams' double ends the illusion of Atlético Mancha Real". Spain's News. 6 January 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Nico Williams scores dramatic late winner as Athletic Club stun Atletico Madrid with comeback". Eurosport. 13 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  8. ^ "Nico Williams earns first-team contract". Athletic Bilbao. 20 January 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  9. ^ "La Selección Sub 18 llama a Nico Williams, hermano de Iñaki" [The Under 18 National Team calls Nico Williams, Iñaki's brother]. www.besoccer.com (in Spanish). 19 January 2020.
  10. ^ "Nico Serrano y Nico Williams, convocados por la selección española sub-19" [Nico Serrano and Nico Williams, called up by the Spanish U19 team]. Athletic Club website (in Spanish). 16 February 2021.
  11. ^ Vencedor and Nico Williams make their Spain Under-21 debuts Athletic Club official website, 3 September 2021
  12. ^ "Iñaki Williams explains how he got his name and why Bilbao means so much to him". Diario AS. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  13. ^ "Nico Williams: Spain U-17 coach tips Bilbao youngster for greatness". Footy Ghana. 1 June 2020.
  14. ^ Río, Endika (10 February 2019). "El hermano de Iñaki Williams debuta con gol en el juvenil del Athletic" [Iñaki Williams's brother debuts with goal for Athletic youths]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  15. ^ Abizanda, Jorge (31 January 2021). "El imparable ascenso de Nico Williams en el Athletic" [The unstoppable rise of Nico Williams at Athletic]. ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  16. ^ "N. Williams". Soccerway. Retrieved 29 July 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

External links[]

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