Neco Williams facts for kids
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Williams with Wales at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 13 April 2001 | ||
| Place of birth | Cefn Mawr, Wales | ||
| Height | 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) | ||
| Playing position | Full-back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Nottingham Forest | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| 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 | 75 | (1) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2018–2020 | Wales U19 | 8 | (4) |
| 2020– | Wales | 44 | (4) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Neco Shay Williams (born April 13, 2001) is a Welsh professional footballer. He plays as a full-back for Nottingham Forest. He also plays for the Wales national team.
Neco started playing football at age six with Cefn United. He joined Liverpool in 2007. He played 31 games for their main team over 15 years. In January 2022, he went to Fulham on loan. Later that year, he joined Nottingham Forest permanently.
Born in Cefn Mawr, Wales, Neco plays for his country. He helped the Wales team get into the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This was the first time Wales had qualified for the World Cup since 1958.
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Early Life and Football Start
Neco Williams was born in Cefn Mawr, Wrexham, Wales. His dad, Lee Williams, used to play football for Cefn United. His mom, 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, big clubs like Manchester United, Everton, and Liverpool wanted him. He chose to join Liverpool in 2007.
Club Career Highlights
Playing for Liverpool
Neco played for Liverpool's U18, U19, and U23 teams. He had a bad back injury in 2017–18. This kept him out of most of that season. But he got better and helped his team win the FA Youth Cup two years later.
Neco's good play in youth teams led to his first game for the senior team. This was on October 30, 2019, in an EFL Cup match against Arsenal. The game ended 5–5, and Liverpool won after a penalty shoot-out. Neco played a big part, helping Divock Origi score a last-minute goal. This goal sent the game to penalties.
In December, Neco was part of the Liverpool team that won the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup. He didn't play in the games, but he was still part of the winning squad.
After that, he played well in games against Everton and Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup. In the game against Shrewsbury, he helped cause an own goal that secured Liverpool's win. The team that played against Shrewsbury was the youngest in Liverpool's history. Their average age was just 19 years and two days.
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 this title. A few weeks later, on August 17, he signed a new long-term deal with Liverpool.
Loan to Fulham
On January 31, 2022, Neco joined Championship club Fulham. This was a loan deal 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.
Joining Nottingham Forest
Neco Williams signed with Nottingham Forest on July 10, 2022. Forest had just been promoted to the Premier League. He signed a four-year contract. The transfer fee was reported to be around £17 million.
On April 22, 2023, Neco scored his first goal for Nottingham Forest. It was in a game against his old club, Liverpool. Forest lost the game 3-2.
International Career for Wales
Neco could play for England because of his grandparents. But he chose to play for Wales. He played for the Wales U19 team. In August 2020, he was called up to the senior Wales squad for the first time.
Neco made his Wales debut on September 3, 2020. It was a 1–0 win against Finland in the UEFA Nations League. He scored his first goal for Wales just three days later. This was against Bulgaria in the UEFA Nations League. His goal was the winning one in a 1–0 victory. In May 2021, he was chosen for the Wales team for the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.
Neco helped Wales qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 2022. This was a huge moment, as Wales hadn't been in the World Cup 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 sad news after the game. He said he dedicated his performance to his grandfather.
Neco went to Ysgol Rhiwabon school in Ruabon. There is a special painting, called a mural, of Neco in his home village of Cefn Mawr.
