Rhys Williams while playing for Middlesbrough |
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rhys Williams | ||
| Date of birth | 14 July 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Perth, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder / Center-back / Right-back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Middlesbrough | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| ECU Joondalup | |||
| 2005–2008 | Middlesbrough | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2008– | Middlesbrough | 68 | (5) |
| 2009 | → Burnley (loan) | 17 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2007–2009 | Wales U21 | 10 | (1) |
| 2009– | Australia | 9 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20:44, 19 November 2011 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). |
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Rhys Williams (born 14 July 1988) is an Australian professional football (soccer) player currently playing for Middlesbrough in the English Football League Championship and the Australia national football team. A very versatile player, Williams is adept at playing as a defensive midfielder, central defender, right fullback or more recently as an attacking midfielder.[1]
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His mother originates from Mumbai, India while his father was born in Kent, England.[2]
His younger brothers, twins; Ryan Williams and Aryn Williams, are also footballers and are currently players at Portsmouth and Burnley Academy, respectively.
He began his football career as a promising junior with Perth based club ECU Joondalup. As a youth player, 2004 would prove his breakthrough year with his club performances leading to selection in the Western Australian under-16 state representative squad for the 2004 National Talent Identification Championships. He impressed with three goals in the tournament, helping Western Australia reach the semi-finals. At the conclusion of the event, he travelled to England where he trialled with several clubs including Aston Villa, Leicester City, and Middlesbrough.[3]
He ultimately signed a three-year deal with Premier League club Middlesbrough, playing academy football. In July 2007, he signed his first professional contract with the club, despite a number of injury setbacks which curtailed his football development.
In January 2009, he signed a new two-year contract at Middlesbrough and signed on loan for Championship side Burnley on the same day.[4] He returned to Middlesbrough in early May after it was determined that he could not play in the Football League Championship play-offs for Burnley.[5]
After fantastic preseason form for Middlesbrough before the 2009–10 season where he scored 4 goals in 5 games, manager Gareth Southgate showed faith in Williams by playing him in central midfield in their opening Championship match against Sheffield United where he put in a stellar performance and has since gone on to keep his place in the first XI.[6]
On 26 September 2009, Williams scored his first goal for Middlesbrough in a 2–2 draw against Coventry City.[7]
On 11 February 2010, Williams signed a three-and-a-half-year contract extension with Middlesbrough.[8]
Williams missed most of the 2010–11 Middlesbrough season, and the 2010 World Cup with a persistent pelvic problem which saw him on an extensive rehabilitation period in Australia.[9] He made his eventual comeback to Middlesbrough towards the end of the 2010-11 League Championship season in which he earnt an impressive six man of the match awards in only twelve games aiding Middlesbrough in their best run of the season.[10]
In Summer 2011, he was strongly linked with moves to the Premier League with Liverpool and, in particular. Bolton Wanderers, where his former Burnley manager Owen Coyle is in charge, but Williams decided to stay loyal to Boro.
Being of mixed parentage, Williams was in an unusual position as he was eligible to represent Australia, England, India, and Wales. In May 2009, he opted to represent Australia, the country of his birth, despite having made numerous appearances for the Wales national under-21 football team.[11]
Following this declaration, Williams earned his first call-up for Australia at senior level as part of an extended Socceroos squad for the June 2009 World Cup qualifiers.[12]
On 17 June 2009, he made his full Australian debut in a World Cup qualifier against Japan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
In May 2010 Williams was included in Australia's preliminary squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, however he was not included in the final squad due to an injury sustained while playing for his club.
Williams returned to the Socceroos squad for the friendly against New Zealand on 5 June at Adelaide Oval which was won by Australia 3–0 and he came off the bench in the 0–0 draw on June against Serbia at Etihad Stadium.
Statistics accurate as of 28 November 2011
| Club | Season | Division | League | Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | |||
| Burnley | 2008-09 | Championship | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 1 |
| Burnley total | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Middlesbrough | 2008-09 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009-10 | Championship | 32 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2010-11 | Championship | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2011-12 | Championship | 18 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 2 | 2 | |
| Middlesbrough total | 62 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 66 | 5 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 79 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 5 | 6 | ||
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