Profile: Wales’ quarter-final goalscorer and captain, Ashley Williams

Friday, July 1st 2016. In years to come, it may just seem like a normal summer’s day. But it wasn’t. It was the day that the Welsh dragon roared itself into the semi-finals of Euro 2016. 

When Ashley Williams began representing Wales back in 2008, he could have only dreamt about a day like Friday night. His bullet of a header asserted the Welsh’s dominance.

Shoot takes a look at the skipper who helped guided his nation to their finest ever night.

Ashley Williams celebrates the equalising goal for Wales in their quarter-final tie against Belgium. Photo: Mark Leech / Offside

Where did it all begin for Williams?

Despite him becoming a Welsh footballing legend, Williams was actually born in Wolverhampton, some 100 miles away from the country of only three million people. Growing up as a Liverpool supporter, Williams joined the West Bromwich Albion academy as a youngster. It was all going to plan at the Baggies until, aged 16, he was released from the west Midlands club.

But Williams never gave up. As he approached his 17th birthday, he signed for his local club: Hednesford United – the main football club in the small Staffordshire town only around half-an-hour from his home in Tamworth.

It was here where he really learnt his trade and understood the true meaning of the beautiful game. He scraped a living working in various roles – from working in a petrol station to becoming a waiter at the Beefeater. It was a long way off professional football, but it was something that he truly loved. And it was clear that he was quite good at it also.

How did he make it to the Liberty Stadium?

Despite never being a regular for the Staffordshire outfit – because of his youthfulness – Williams attracted the interest from many professional clubs. It initially looked as if he was on his way to Boundary Park after a successful trial with Oldham. But, to Williams’ annoyance, Hednesford declined the bid.

But maybe it was written in the stars that he did not make the move to Greater Manchester. On New Year’s Eve 2003, Williams made the trip to Stockport County when then manager, and former Wolves midfielder, Barry Powell agreed for Williams to make the move to the Hatters for a free transfer.

He had finally accomplished his goal of professional football, playing regularly at League One level in his first one-and-a-half years at Edgeley Park.

But when Swansea came calling in early 2008, a new chapter beckoned.

How did he progress in south Wales?

It was March 2008, and as the Swans surged towards the second tier of football for the first time in 24 years, a future legend arrived at the club. It was initially a loan move, but after three appearances, he made the move to Swansea permanently for a record transfer fee of approximately £400,000.

His first full season saw him perform consistently at the back for a Swansea side then managed by Roberto Martinez. His first goal came just weeks into the start of the season when he fired home just minutes before full-time in a fixture against Derby.

After finishing eighth, you could argue that a place in the play-offs coming into the 2009-10 season was not an unlikely aspiration. And with Williams being part of a defence that only conceded 37 goals, you would think that it would be enough to make the top six of the championship. But with their top goalscorer Darren Pratley only netting seven goals, they missed out by a single point.

Ashley Williams of Swansea gives the thumbs up. Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.

The following season, however, would prove to be the greatest in his career and surely the history of Swansea City. This time they did make the play-offs and they shined in the lottery as well, with the 28-year wait for top division football coming to an end when Williams guided the Swans to a 4-2 victory over Reading in the final. The dream was now accomplished; no matter how he got there, he was now a Premier League player.

How has he coped with the Premier League?

The summer of 2011 and most pundits expected the Swans – despite the fairytale story – to be condemned to an immediate relegation back to the Championship. But the south Wales outfit didn’t read the headlines. While Danny Graham’s goals earnt them the victories necessary to gain an 11th-placed finish in the Premier League, Williams and his men at the back made them sharp enough to only concede 51 goals.

It created a wonderful buzz in Swansea, but despite the departure of Brendan Rodgers to Liverpool in June of 2012 – the following season would see Williams return to Wembley for more silverware. And it was a demolition as well. 5-0 it finished against Bradford City in the League Cup final, coming with it a place in Europe the following campaign.

But, although an eighth-placed finish was accomplished in 2014-15 (their highest in the Premier League era), better things were asked of Williams and his team since that rainy day at Wembley. A disappointing 2015/16 Premier League season, however, has been forgotten by the joys which this European tournament has brought.

What about his international career?

I know what you are thinking. How can Williams play for the Welsh if he was born in Wolverhampton? The simple answer is that he qualifies through his maternal grandfather, who is from Gelli, south Wales.

His time with the Welsh national side dates back all the way to his time at Stockport as well as he made his international debut – under the guidance of John Toshack – in March 2008 in a 2-0 defeat of Luxembourg.

Since he has been key in guiding the Welsh golden generation, with him – four years after making his international debut – being appointed captain by manager Chris Coleman. Despite the original debate over the decision, it has proved to be the right choice as the Dragons qualified for their first major tournament since the 1958 World Cup in October of last year.

Williams, alongside all of his team-mates, have defied the odds so far in France, and will be contesting the final in Paris next Sunday if they can beat Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.