sport news Wales' Jonny Williams swapped League Two for the World Cup this winter trends now
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By the law of averages, Jonny Williams would have been facing Crewe Alexandra in League Two yesterday though he was instead on a coach to Wales’ World Cup training ground, reminiscing with Gareth Bale about the European Championship journey they made together six years ago.
Williams was plagued by doubts and, by his own admission, felt his head was ‘all over the place after’ when he found himself out of football and a free agent a few years ago. He had to drop two divisions to Swindon Town to rebuild things and get back into the squad, as one of eight survivors of the school of 2016.
The story the 29-year-old told of how he first won a place in the national ranks — impressing Under 15s coach Osian Roberts with a performance in an U15s North Wales v South Wales trial game in teeming rain — revealed the narrow margins between success and failure.
Jonny Williams is hoping to make his first ever appearance at a World Cup finals this month
The midfielder has been plying his trade for League Two side Swindon this season
‘A young lad broke his leg on that day and I remember that as a terrible injury,’ said Williams. ‘It was pouring down with rain on a boggy pitch in Newtown and I remember getting back in the car with my dad. I thought I had done all right.’
Williams has had his own troubles, with a string of loan deals and a move to Cardiff City which did not work out, before rediscovering his love of the sport at Swindon. No player has scored more club goals this season than his six in 17 games.
That has been a source of ribaldry between him, Bale and the others out here. ‘It is more me taking the p*** out
