Neco Williams interview | Klopp talks, Milner advice and a learning curve
Neco Williams has explained how Jürgen Klopp and his elder Liverpool teammates are continuing to positively shape his career.
The right-back, a graduate of Liverpool’s Academy, made the step up to first-team football in the early parts of 2019-20 and went on to proudly end that season with a Premier League winner’s medal.
He signed a new long-term Reds contract, became a senior Wales international and scored for his country before the beginning of the current campaign, during which he has so far made 13 more appearances for his club.
Williams recently sat down with Premier League Productions to discuss his progress in recent years, the advice and support that has helped him along the way, and more…
On his relationship with Klopp…
He has played a massive part in my career so far. From when you’re a little kid, you always dream of playing for the team you’ve always played for. For me to be at Liverpool since I was six and to come through the stages and to make my debut was a surreal moment for me. It’ll be a moment that I never forget. And to make it under Jürgen Klopp is an extra little boost for me and was a special moment.
On having talks with the manager…
He is like that for all the players, as soon as you have maybe a few bad games or a bad game he will be the first one to come up to you and go through things you need to improve on or what you can do better. He also tells you what you’re good at. That just gives you that confidence to go out and keep going on the training ground or playing out on the field. He has played a massive role in my career so far, as in he has helped me go through the bad times, I’ve matured in a way off him because he has taught me the more senior side of the game. He has taught me a lot since I made my debut.
On his memories of making his Premier League debut…
My Premier League debut, I didn’t actually know that I was going to come on or play. I had an idea because we were 4-0 up, we had dominated the game and I was just thinking to myself that maybe this is a chance to come on and show what I’m about. Luckily, I got warm and he called me, so I went straight back up to my seat, got changed quickly and went straight down and came on. It was a massive moment for me, making my Premier League debut. For me, it’s definitely one of the best leagues in the world and one of the toughest leagues in the world, with the quality of the players and the sides in today’s game. So to play in that and especially to make it when we won the Premier League was a surreal moment.
On the feeling of playing a part in the title-winning season…
It was a very long time, 30 years – a long wait to win the Premier League. To play a part in it was an amazing feeling. I’ve been at Liverpool since I was six or seven, so to come through all the stages and to keep fighting for my places and to keep working and to make my debut especially that season was an amazing feeling.
On having a Premier League winner’s medal…
It does feel amazing. Obviously I couldn’t have done it without the lads; the season they had was phenomenal, the quality they showed in the season will go down in the history books because it was an amazing season. For me to make my debut in that season was unreal and it will stick with me for the rest of my career and the rest of my life.
On the support from senior players and who has helped him…
I’ve had help off a lot of players, more the senior players, the more experienced ones. Obviously James Milner – he has helped me a lot because he has been around for a while now and he has had that experience. He helps me a lot if I’m doing well, what I need to improve on. Or if I’ve had a few bad games, he’ll tell me what I need to improve on. He has played a massive part. And obviously the likes of Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana when he was here, they played massive roles. They just help you a lot. But that’s not just with me, that’s with all the young lads who come through or even all the team, everyone speaks together to see what we need to improve on and what we need to do. They have helped me a lot since I made a breakthrough and came up here.
On the experience of this season and the lessons he’s learned from it…
This season is more of a learning curve, I’m gaining the experience and I’m learning new things every day. Obviously this season hasn’t gone how we wanted it. For me, it’s more of a learning curve and to take things on board to learn off this. I’m sure that’s the exact same for all the other players and all the other young lads. This is just a learning curve and this is gaining more experience for what’s to come in the future.
On the pressure that comes with taking chances in the team in the absence of injured players…
I wouldn’t say the pressure is on but I think when you do come in you do need to take your chance, because we’ve had a lot of injuries this season and that hasn’t helped us at all. When someone is in your place and they do get an injury, you need to come in and not just for yourself but for the team you need to give 110 per cent for the team and you need to give everything to do what that person in front of you was doing before he got injured.