NECO The Next Episode
What does the future hold for Wales and Nottingham Forest star Neco Williams
Neco Williams, newly crowned Nottingham Forest player of the year, 55 Wales caps, and according to Fabrizo Romano a young man in demand this summer.
The 25-year old is absolutely one of the first names on Craig Bellamy’s team-sheet. Which made the penalty miss against Bosnia in March all the more cruel.
But, that didn’t disrupt his season, in fact it seemed he didn’t miss a beat.
He has gone to another level for club and country, all while becoming a new dad, a moment he says has changed his mentality on and off the pitch.
Which is remarkable because the first year of my children being born just disappeared in the perfect storm of nappies and lack of sleep. Neco is clearly made of different stuff!
He made 53 appearances for Forest, scoring twice and providing 4 assists but in a wildly inconsistent season that saw his club dive towards the relegation zone, get through 4 managers and end up in a Europa League semi-final our boy from Cefn Mawr has not just been a model of consistency but consistently excellent.
It is no wonder that there is a queue of admirers wondering if they can prize him from the City Ground this summer.
I was lucky enough to be in the eerily empty Covid locked down Cardiff City stadium on September the 6th 2020.
Neco, always Neco and not Williams, announced himself with an injury time winning goal against Bulgaria having made his debut under Ryan Giggs a few days before.
It was an important goal too which ultimately helped Wales to Nations League promotion but it was his dashes up the wing, and those elastic legs that seemed to inexplicably win the ball back or help him spin out of a tackle that suggested we’d found someone special.
To be honest, it was no surprise to me having watched him excel for the U19s 10 months before in a 2-0 win against Kosovo, again scoring that day at Rodney Parade.
The winger turned full-back looked like a Jurgen Klopp player through and through. High energy, dynamic, fantastic flying forwards but his weakness at that point was defensively and in early Premier League games he was targeted. I particularly remember the 2020 Community Shield being a tough afternoon for the youngster.
Then there was the small matter of Scouser Trent Alexander-Arnold standing in his way.
The gumption and self belief to decide that he wasn’t going to play second fiddle to TAA, that he was going to tread his own path, I think showed the character and self belief that’s pushed him to where he is today.
After the goal against Bulgaria, wearing the widest of pearly white smiles, Neco told of how England had once been in touch. “I was born in Wales, my friends are Welsh, my family are Welsh. I’ve always wanted to play for Wales”.
Fair to say the RedWall fell in love there and then.
That’s even before he released a photo of him wearing one of those glorious Kappa kits that looked amazing on people like Neco, not so much on middle aged blokes who have had a beer or two too many on WalesAway.
At Forest he’s grown, developed, turned from a boy with potential into a man.
All the time he’s excelled for his country.
What I love is he can do the old fashioned defending. Stopping crosses, last ditch challenges, smashing the odd naughty one here and there.
But he can play. Those little flicks and inter-changes with Brooks and James. Those lung busting breaks up the pitch and being just as effective on the left as the right.
The suitors are lining up, Forest are reportedly ready with a new updated contract having agreed one just 12 months ago.
Let’s see what the summer holds and as Neco posted on Instagram himself;
“This chapter ends, but it’s only shaping us for what comes next”.