Neco Williams Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Neco Williams
Personal information
Williams with Wales at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Full name	Neco Shay Williams
Date of birth	(2001-04-13) 13 April 2001 (age 24)
Place of birth	Cefn Mawr, Wales
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Position(s)	Full-back
Team information
Current team	Nottingham Forest
Number	3
Youth career
–2007	Cefn United
2007–2019	Liverpool
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2019–2022	Liverpool	13	(0)
2022	→ Fulham (loan)	14	(2)
2022–	Nottingham Forest	90	(2)
International career^‡
2018–2020	Wales U19	8	(4)
2020–	Wales	47	(4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:37, 27 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:36, 6 June 2025 (UTC)

Neco Shay Williams (born April 13, 2001) is a professional footballer from Wales. He plays as a full-back for the Championship club Nottingham Forest. Neco also plays for the Wales national team.

Neco started playing football with Cefn United when he was six years old. He then joined Liverpool in 2007. He played 31 games for Liverpool's main team. In January 2022, he went to Fulham on loan. Later that year, he joined Nottingham Forest permanently.

Neco was born in Cefn Mawr, Wales. He plays for Wales at the senior level. He was part of the Wales team that made it to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This was the first time Wales had qualified for the World Cup since 1958.

Early Life and Start in Football
Club Career
- Playing for Liverpool
  - Loan to Fulham
- Nottingham Forest
International Career
Personal Life
Honours
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Start in Football

Neco Williams was born in Cefn Mawr, Wrexham, Wales. His father, Lee Williams, used to play football for Cefn United. His mother, Emma Jones, is a dance teacher.

When Neco was six, he joined Cefn United's youth team. He first played as a striker. After a tournament in Gresford, big clubs like Manchester United, Everton, and Liverpool became interested in him. Liverpool signed him in 2007.

Club Career

Playing for Liverpool

Williams playing for Liverpool U19 in 2019

Neco Williams played for Liverpool's U18, U19, and U23 teams. He had a serious back injury in 2017–18 that kept him out for most of the season. But he recovered and helped his team win the FA Youth Cup two years later.

Neco's good performance in youth games led to his first game for the senior team. This happened on October 30, 2019, in an EFL Cup match against Arsenal. The game ended in a 5–5 draw, and Liverpool won after a penalty shoot-out. Neco played a big part in the match. He even made an assist for Divock Origi's goal in the last minute. This goal sent the game to penalties.

In December 2019, Neco was part of the Liverpool team that won the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup. He did not play in the matches, but he was part of the winning squad.

After the new year, he played in a team mostly made of young players and reserves. They beat their rivals Everton in the FA Cup. They also beat Shrewsbury Town in a replay game. Neco helped force an own goal in the Shrewsbury game, which helped Liverpool move forward. The team that played against Shrewsbury was Liverpool's youngest starting lineup ever. Their average age was just over 19 years old.

Neco made his Premier League debut on June 24, 2020. This was after the season restarted because of the COVID-19 outbreak. He came on as a substitute in a 4–0 win against Crystal Palace. Neco played enough games to earn a Premier League winner's medal. He was the fifth Welsh player to win the Premier League. A few weeks later, in August, he signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool.

Loan to Fulham

On January 31, 2022, Neco Williams joined Championship club Fulham. He went there on loan until the end of the 2021–22 season. He scored his first two goals for a senior club on March 8, 2022. This happened in a 5–1 win against Swansea City.

Nottingham Forest

Neco Williams signed with Nottingham Forest on July 10, 2022. Nottingham Forest had just been promoted to the Premier League. He signed a four-year contract. On April 22, 2023, Neco scored his first goal for Nottingham Forest. It was in a 3–2 loss against his old club, Liverpool. On July 1, 2025, he extended his contract with the club until 2029.

International Career

Neco Williams could have played for England because of his grandparents. However, he chose to represent Wales. He played for Wales at the U19 level. In August 2020, he was called up to the senior Wales team for the first time.

Neco made his debut for Wales on September 3, 2020. It was a 1–0 win against Finland in the UEFA Nations League. He scored his first goal for Wales on September 6, 2020, against Bulgaria. It was the winning goal in a 1–0 victory for Wales. In May 2021, he was chosen for the Wales squad for the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.

Neco helped Wales qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 2022. This was a big moment, as it was the first time Wales had qualified since 1958. In November 2022, he was named in the Wales squad for the World Cup in Qatar.

Personal Life

Neco Williams has a younger brother named Keelan Williams. Keelan also plays football for Denbigh Town. He used to play for Liverpool's youth team and Burnley's U18 and U21 teams. Neco also has an older sister, Taya, and two younger sisters, Sarae and Ocea. His father's family comes from Porthmadog.

Neco's grandfather, Kelvin Jones, passed away in November 2022. This was the day before Neco played in Wales' first World Cup game. Neco shared this news after the game and said he dedicated his performance to his grandfather.

Neco went to Ysgol Rhiwabon school in Ruabon. There is a mural of Neco in his home village of Cefn Mawr. Neco and his partner, Nicole, are expecting their first child in October.