Player

Biography

Born in Pamplona, Navarre, Williams joined the youth academy of Athletic Bilbao in 2013 from hometown side CA Osasuna. He began his senior career with the club's farm team, Basconia, during the 2019–20 season. On 11 May 2020, Williams was promoted to the reserve team in the Segunda División B.[5] He made his first-team—and La Liga—debut on 28 April the following year, coming on as a second-half substitute for Jon Morcillo in a 2–2 home draw against Real Valladolid his brother Iñaki also came off the bench ten minutes later. It was the first time two siblings had been on the pitch at the same time for the club since Julio and Patxi Salinas in 1986

Williams first represented Spain with the under-18 squad in 2020, scoring two goals in four games. He was called up to the Spain under-19s in February 2021, and made his debut for the under-21s in September of the same year. He received his first call-up to the senior squad, coached by Luis Enrique, for 2022–23 UEFA Nations League fixtures in September 2022, and made his debut in a 2–1 home defeat against Switzerland. On 17 November, he scored his first goal for the national team in a 3–1 friendly win against Jordan.He subsequently was called up for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where he made four appearances with one start as Spain were eliminated in a penalty shootout by Morocco in the round of 16. He missed the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals due to injury.

Williams was born in Pamplona to Ghanaian refugee parents, who travelled across the Sahara Desert to reach Melilla, a Spanish city in Northern Africa.[59][60][61] His parents had been advised by an unidentified lawyer to claim to be from a war-torn country, namely Liberia where a civil war was occurring, when they first entered Spain.

His elder brother Iñaki Williams is also a footballer and a forward; he too was brought up at Athletic Bilbao, having been born in Bilbao a short time after his parents arrived there. Nico typically wears Williams Jr on the back of his shirt, including in international matches that do not involve Iñaki (who represents Ghana internationally).