Iñaki Williams

Iñaki Williams

Personal information
Full name	Iñaki Williams Arthuer
Date of birth	15 June 1994
Place of birth	Bilbao, Spain
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position	Forward
Club information
Current team	Athletic Bilbao
Number	15
Youth career
	Natación Pamplona
2009–2012	Pamplona
2012	Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2012–2013	Basconia	18	(7)
2013–2015	Bilbao Athletic	32	(21)
2014–	Athletic Bilbao	41	(9)
National team^‡
2015–	Spain U21	4	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:51, 26 April 2016 (UTC). † Appearances (goals) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17 November 2015

Iñaki Williams Arthuer (born 15 June 1994) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Athletic Bilbao as a forward.^[1]

Club career

Born in Bilbao, Biscay to a Ghanaian father and a Liberian mother,^[2] Williams joined Athletic Bilbao's Lezama youth system in 2012 at age 16. In the same year he made his debuts as a senior, playing for the farm team which competed in Tercera División.

On 25 June 2013, Williams signed a new contract with the Basque club, running until 2017,^[3] and was subsequently promoted to the reserves in Segunda División B. After suffering a knee injury in August,^[4] he returned to activity in October,^[5] and appeared in 14 matches during the season, scoring eight goals.

At the start of 2014–15, Williams scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 win over SD Amorebieta,^[6] and followed this on 7 September 2014 with another treble in a 5–1 rout of SD Leioa.^[7] Despite only playing the first half of the campaign, his 13 goals from 18 games helped the team ascend to Segunda División.

On 6 December 2014, after profitting from Aritz Aduriz's injury,^[8] Williams made his first-team – and La Liga – debut, starting in a 0–1 home loss against Córdoba CF.^[9] He netted his first goal on 19 February of the following year, starting and contributing to a 2–2 draw at Torino F.C. for the UEFA Europa League's round-of-32,^[10] becoming in the process the first black player to score for the club.^[11]

On 17 May 2015, Williams scored his first goal in the top flight, netting a last-minute winner in a 3–2 away success over Elche CF to help Athletic come from behind 0–2.^[12] Thirteen days later, he headed a consolation goal in the 1–3 loss to FC Barcelona in the final of the Copa del Rey at the Camp Nou.^[13]

Williams scored a brace before giving away a penalty in Athletic's 3–1 win away to Real Betis, on 1 November 2015.^[14] He repeated the feat the following match, at home against FK Partizan in the Europa League group stage (5–1).^[15] Finding the net in his third match running, he scored "a phenomenal volley" to help beat RCD Espanyol 2–1 at the San Mamés.^[16]

In late January 2016, having been scouted by the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, Williams agreed to an extension of his contract until 2021. The deal included a €50 million buyout clause.^[17] He was sent off on 6 February at the end of a goalless home draw with Villarreal CF, as opponent Daniele Bonera.^[18]

International career

On 20 March 2015, Williams received his first international call-up, being named in Albert Celades' Spain under-21 squad for friendlies with Norway and Belarus.^[19] He made his debut on the 26th against the former, replacing goalscorer Munir El Haddadi at half-time of a 2–0 friendly win in Cartagena.^[20]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 26 April 2016^[21]

Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental		Total
		League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Bilbao Athletic	2013–14	Segunda División B	14	8	—		—		14	8
	2014–15		18	13	—		—		18	13
	Total		32	21	0	0	0	0	32	21
Athletic Bilbao	2014–15	La Liga	19	1	4	1	2	1	25	3
	2015–16		22	8	5	3	7	2	34	13
	Total		41	9	9	4	9	3	59	16
Career total			73	30	9	4	9	3	91	37

References

1. "Iñaki Williams, la pantera de Lezama" [Iñaki Williams, Lezama's panther]. La República (in Spanish). 7 May 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
2. "Williams set to be called up for the Champions League". Diario AS. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
3. "El Athletic blinda a una de sus joyas del juvenil: Iñaki Williams" [Athletic shields one of its youth squad gems: Iñaki Williams]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 25 June 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
4. "Iñaki Williams, de 2 a 5 meses de baja" [Iñaki Williams, from 2 to 5 months out]. El Correo (in Spanish). 15 August 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
5. "Iñaki Williams regresa con gol" [Iñaki Williams returns with a goal]. El Correo (in Spanish). 15 October 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
6. "Williams, con tres goles, abandera a un letal Bilbao Athletic" [Williams, with three goals, spearheads a lethal Bilbao Athletic] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 25 August 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
7. "El Athletic comienza el blindaje de Iñaki Williams" [Athletic start shielding Iñaki Williams] (in Spanish). Goal.com. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
8. "Vía libre para el joven Iñaki Williams por la lesión de Aduriz" [Freeway to young Iñaki Williams due to Aduriz's injury]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 5 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
9. "Ghilas devuelve la sonrisa al Córdoba" [Ghilas brings the smiles back to Córdoba]. Marca (in Spanish). 6 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
10. "Honours even between Torino and Athletic". UEFA.com. 19 February 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
11. "Inaki Williams becomes first black Athletic Bilbao goalscorer in 117-year history". Sky Sports. 20 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
12. "Williams señala a Europa" [Williams points to Europe]. Marca (in Spanish). 17 May 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
13. "Lionel Messi double gives Barcelona Cup final win over Athletic Bilbao". The Guardian. 30 May 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
14. "Williams fires improving Bilbao to victory at Betis". Eurosport. 1 November 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
15. "Williams at the double as Athletic go clear". UEFA.com. 5 November 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
16. "Inaki Williams scores phenomenal volley for Athletic Bilbao against Espanyol". Sky Sports. 8 November 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
17. Aarons, Ed (21 January 2016). "Athletic Bilbao’s Iñaki Williams signs new contract with €50m release clause". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
18. "Torres grabs 100th Atletico goal in win over Eibar". Reuters. 6 February 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
19. "Williams, a la sub-21" [Williams, to the under-21]. El País (in Spanish). 20 March 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
20. Muñoz, Antonio D. (26 March 2015). "Spain beats Norway and strengthens the team (2–0)". Royal Spanish Football Federation. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
21. "Iñaki Williams". Soccerway. Retrieved 1 November 2015.

External links

• Athletic Bilbao profile
• Iñaki Williams profile at BDFutbol