Lydia Williams facts for kids
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Williams playing for Australia at the 2017 Algarve Cup
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lydia Grace Yilkari Williams | ||
| Date of birth | 13 May 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Katanning, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Melbourne Victory | ||
| Number | 1 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Tuggeranong United | |||
| Woden Valley | |||
| 2004–2008 | AIS | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2008–2012 | Canberra United | 46 | (0) |
| 2009 | Chicago Red Stars | 0 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | Piteå IF | 24 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Canberra United | 12 | (0) |
| 2014 | Western New York Flash | 14 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | Canberra United | 10 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Houston Dash | 15 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | → Melbourne City (loan) | 14 | (0) |
| 2017–2019 | Reign FC | 21 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | → Melbourne City (loan) | 12 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | → Melbourne City (loan) | 12 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | Melbourne City | 14 | (0) |
| 2020–2022 | Arsenal | 11 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | Paris Saint-Germain | 1 | (0) |
| 2023 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 7 | (0) |
| 2023– | Melbourne Victory | 11 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2006–2007 | Australia U20 | 14 | (0) |
| 2005–2024 | Australia | 104 | (0) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Lydia Grace Yilkari Williams (born 13 May 1988) is a professional soccer player from Australia. She plays as a goalkeeper for the A-League Women club Melbourne Victory. Lydia was also a long-time member of the Australia national team, known as the Matildas.
Lydia has played for many top clubs around the world. These include Melbourne City and Canberra United in Australia, and teams like Reign FC, Houston Dash, and Western New York Flash in the United States. She also played for Piteå IF in Sweden and Arsenal in England.
Lydia has won several awards for her amazing skills. She was named the PFA Women's Footballer of the Year twice and was part of the PFA W-League Team of the Season. She also won the W-League Goalkeeper of the Year award three times! Lydia was even added to the Aboriginal and Islander Sports Hall of Fame. She played her first game for the Matildas when she was just 16 years old. In 2019, she wrote a children's book called Saved!!!.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Lydia Grace Yilkari Williams was born on 13 May 1988 in Katanning, Western Australia. She grew up in a mining town called Kalgoorlie. Her father is Aboriginal, and her mother is American. Lydia went to St Joseph's School in Kalgoorlie for most of her primary school years. When she was eleven, her family moved to Canberra.
In November 2019, Lydia wrote a children's book called Saved!!!. The book shares stories from her own life. It talks about growing up in the desert and becoming a successful Aboriginal female football player.
Club Career Highlights
Lydia started playing junior football for clubs like Tuggeranong and Woden in the Australian Capital Territory. Later, she joined the Australian Institute of Sport Football Program.
In 2008, Lydia joined the Australian W-League team Canberra United. She played 11 games as their starting goalkeeper in the 2009 W-League season. Canberra finished fourth and made it to the Playoffs. However, they lost 3–0 to Sydney FC.
During the 2010–11 W-League season, Lydia played all eleven matches as the starting goalkeeper. Canberra finished third. They reached the semi-finals but lost to Brisbane Roar in a penalty shootout.
Playing in the USA and Australia: 2014–2017
In 2014, Lydia joined the Western New York Flash in the United States. She became their starting goalkeeper after another player got injured. Lydia played 14 games and had two shutouts (games where the other team didn't score). Sadly, she got a serious knee injury (ACL) while playing for Australia in 2014. This injury ended her season.
After her injury, Lydia returned to Australia. She played for Canberra United in the 2015–16 W-League season. She played 10 games and helped Canberra finish second. They made it to the Playoffs but lost to Sydney FC in the semi-finals.
In January 2016, Lydia signed with the Houston Dash in the USA. She was the starting goalkeeper in 15 games. Fans even voted two of her saves as "Save of the Week."
Loan to Melbourne City: 2016–2017
After her season with Houston, Lydia joined Melbourne City on loan for the 2016–17 W-League season. She played 15 games as the starting goalkeeper. She helped Melbourne City finish fourth and reach the Finals. Lydia was amazing in the semi-final, keeping Canberra United from scoring. She also helped Melbourne City win the 2017 W-League Grand Final 2–0 against Perth Glory. After this great season, she was named the league's Goalkeeper of the Year.
Reign FC and Melbourne City: 2017–2020
Lydia returned to Houston for the 2017 season. She then moved to Seattle Reign FC in August. She played three games for Reign FC that season.
In October 2017, Lydia rejoined Melbourne City for the 2017–18 W-League season. She played 12 games and helped Melbourne City reach the Finals again. They beat Brisbane Roar in the semi-final. Then, they won the Grand Final 2–0 against Sydney FC, winning their third championship in a row!
Lydia was the starting goalkeeper for Reign FC in all 17 games she played during the 2018 NWSL season. Reign FC finished third and made it to the Playoffs. They lost to Portland Thorns FC in the semi-finals. Lydia was one of the top three goalkeepers nominated for the NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year award in 2018.
Lydia returned to Melbourne City for the 2019–20 W-League season. She played 14 matches, keeping nine shutouts. Melbourne City finished first in the regular season without losing a single game. Lydia helped City win 5–1 in their semi-final match. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Grand Final was played without fans. Lydia helped her team win the championship by keeping Sydney FC from scoring, with a 1–0 win.
Playing for Arsenal: 2020–2022
In July 2020, Lydia signed a one-year contract with Arsenal in England. She said she was excited about the growing investment in women's soccer in Europe. She had ankle surgery due to an injury before the season started. On 18 November 2020, Lydia played her first game for Arsenal. It was a cup match against Tottenham Hotspur, which Arsenal won after a penalty shootout. She made her league debut on 6 December 2020.
Paris Saint-Germain and Brighton: 2022–2023
On 21 July 2022, Lydia signed with Paris Saint-Germain in France for one year. She left the club in January 2023 after playing two official matches. On 19 January 2023, Lydia joined Brighton & Hove Albion in England.
Melbourne Victory: 2023–Present
In September 2023, Lydia returned to Australia and signed a two-year contract with Melbourne Victory.
International Career with Australia
Lydia Williams has played for Australia's senior national team, the Matildas, and the under-20 national team. She was first invited to train with the senior team when she was just 15 years old.
In 2006, she played for Australia in the 2006 AFC Women's Asian Cup and the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship.
At 19, Lydia was chosen for the Matildas squad for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in China, but she didn't play in any games. Australia reached the quarter-finals but lost to Brazil. She shared the goalkeeper role with Melissa Barbieri at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany. Lydia started in Australia's second group game, helping the Matildas win 3–2 against Equatorial Guinea. Australia made it to the quarter-finals but lost to Sweden.
Lydia was the main goalkeeper for Australia at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. She helped Australia get a 2–0 shutout win against Nigeria and a 1–1 draw against Sweden. Australia finished second in their tough group and moved to the Round of 16. There, they faced Brazil. Lydia made an incredible save that was called the "save of the tournament." She helped Australia win 1–0, which was their first World Cup win against Brazil! The Matildas then lost 1–0 to Japan in the quarter-finals.
After qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics, Lydia was in goal for Australia's first game against Canada. Australia tied 2–2 with Germany and beat Zimbabwe 6–1. They reached the quarter-finals and faced Brazil again. The game ended in a 0–0 draw, leading to a penalty shootout. Lydia saved a penalty from Marta, but Australia eventually lost 7–6 in the shootout.
Lydia was the starting goalkeeper at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France. This was her fourth World Cup! Australia had a surprising 2–1 loss to Italy in their first game. But they bounced back with a 3–2 win against Brazil and a 4–1 win against Jamaica. Australia finished second in their group and advanced to the Round of 16. They tied 1–1 with Norway, but Norway won 4–1 in penalties.
Lydia was also chosen for the Australian team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The Matildas reached the quarter-finals and beat Great Britain 4–3 in extra time. They lost 1–0 to Sweden in the semi-final and then lost 4–3 to the USA in the bronze medal match.
On 28 June 2022, Lydia played her 100th game for Australia in a friendly match against Portugal. On 5 May 2024, Lydia announced she would retire from international football after the Paris 2024 Olympics. Her final game for the Matildas was on 4 June against China, which they won 2-0.
Personal Life
Lydia Williams has a pet dog named Caviar.
Honours and Awards
Canberra United FC
Australia
- AFC Women's Asian Cup: 2010, 2018 (runners-up)
- AFF Women's Championship: 2008
- Tournament of Nations: 2017, 2018 (runners-up)
- FFA Cup of Nations: 2019
Individual Awards
- Aboriginal and Islander Sports Hall of Fame
- Deadly Award for Female Sportsperson of the Year: 2006
- PFA Women's Footballer of the Year: 2011–12, 2015–16
- W-League Goalkeeper of the Year: 2010–11, 2011–12, 2016–17
- PFA W-League Team of the Season: 2016–17
- IFFHS AFC Woman Team of the Decade 2011–2020
See also
In Spanish: Lydia Williams para niños
- List of Indigenous Australian sportspeople
- List of players who have appeared in multiple FIFA Women's World Cups
- List of Reign FC players
- List of foreign Damallsvenskan players
