Ashley Errol Williams is a professional footballer who plays as quarterback for the Swansea City Premier League club and Wales. Interestingly, he is currently the captain of both teams. Throughout his professional career, he plays the position of a central midfielder, but sometimes he was involved in the game on the right flank of defense.
Carier start
Ashley was born in the West Midlands in Wolverhampton. Williams Ashley, whose club career once began on the West Bromwich youth team, first played on the Hednesford Town team. After that, he moved to Stockport County in 2003. Williams Ashley later became captain of Stockport, and continued to play for him even when he made his international debut for the main national team of Wales.
In November 2007, Williams became the best young player of the Northwest League of the second division, as well as the best player of the entire tournament.
Swansea
In March 2008, Williams Ashley signed a six-month contract with Swansea City, where he transferred on loan until the end of the 2007/2008 season with the right to fully redeem the transfer. Having provided serious assistance to the “swans” in the First Division, which resulted in the promotion of the Welsh in the second most important echelon of English football, the Championship (for the first time in 24 years), Williams was redeemed from Stockport County for a record 400 pounds for Swansea (meanwhile, serious money for a team that recently played in the third most important division of English football).
On September 16, 2008, Williams scored his first goal for Swansea City. It happened in a game against Derby County in the Championship. “Swans” lost with the score 0: 1, however the young defender equalized the score, having obtained an important point in the match with the club which was quite strong at that time. Ashley made an excellent impression on all Welsh football experts during his first season at the Championship, as a result of which at the end of the season he was awarded the best soccer player of the year. At the award ceremony, the athlete also received the prize "Best Team Player of the Year."
After finishing his first season in the Championship in a respectable eighth place, Swansea City improved its position by one place in the next season. However, this was more of a disappointment than a victory, because only one line in the standings separated them from the playoffs. During this time, Williams became, one might say, the heart of the “Swans” defense, which conceded only 37 goals throughout the season, and in the 2009/2010 season ended up in the symbolic Championship team.
Premier League
Season 2010/2011 was successful for both Swansea City and Williams. “Swans” won a ticket to the Premier League. Through a playoff sieve and a victory at Wembley in the final match, the Welsh secured their place in the highest echelon of English football, and Williams for the second time in a row ended up in the symbolic national team of the Championship. During this season, Williams Ashley managed to first equal, and then surpass the club record in 106 matches held in a row, which previously Andy Legge and Gilbert Buck held together for several years.
The life of Swansea City in the Premier League began with the defeat of 0-4 from future Manchester City champions. Williams tried hard in this match, but largely because of his mistakes the team lost. Nevertheless, the form of both Williams and Swansea quickly improved, and the club finished the season in eleventh place. September 24, 2011 Williams scored his first goal in the Premier League in a match against London's Chelsea. True, the Swans match still lost with a score of 1: 4.
In October 2012, Williams Ashley signed a new three-year contract with Swansea. The second season of the club in the Premier League ended for the Welsh in ninth place. However, Williams managed to win his first trophy this year: the silver cup of the English League Cup “swans” were lifted over their heads in 2013, after defeating the “Bradford City” in the finals at Wembley with a score of 5: 0.
In July 2013, after the long-standing captain of Swansea City Harry Monk ended his career as a professional football player, the captain's armband passed to Williams and remains with him until now. On July 4, 2014, Ashley Williams signed a new four-year contract with Swansea until the summer of 2018.
International career
Despite the fact that Ashley Williams is a football player who should play for the England team since he was born in Wolves, he had the right to play for the Wales team, since he had Welsh relatives on his maternal side. The footballer made his debut for the national team on March 26, 2008. The first time he tried on a captain's armband in a shirt for the Wales Williams team on November 14, 2009 in a friendly match with the Scottish team in Cardiff, which ended with the score 3-0. And the defender scored his first goal for the national team in a friendly match with the Luxembourg national team in Llanelli on October 11, 2010. The match ended with a score of 5: 1.
In October 2012, Aaron Ramsey ceased to play the role of captain of the Wales team. Williams Ashley became his successor.
Personal life
In December 2010, Williams and his wife, Vanessa, established the WillsWorld charity, which helps protect children. He is also one of the investors in the Ethan Perkins Trust fund, which raises funds for research in the field of research and finding new ways to treat brain tumors in children.