Neco Williams on Wales icons and World Cup qualification
Neco Williams admires those who came before him. The names of Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Craig Bellamy are revered as immortal icons of Welsh football.
So is following in their footsteps a gift or a curse? Matching the rising standards set by the aforementioned trio is an expectation that Williams and his Wales colleagues have no choice but to deal with.
Of course, Williams is working alongside one of his heroes in Bellamy, who is now Wales head coach.
An important week awaits the duo. Wales face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup play-off semi-final on Thursday, with a potential final against Italy or Northern Ireland next week to secure a place in this summer’s tournament.
The shadows of Bale and Ramsey and others remain wide; But are they a source of inspiration or a burden?
“A little bit of both,” Williams told BBC Sport.
“As a child, you watched names like Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, Craig Bellamy. You grew up idolizing them. You wanted to be like them.
“And now that they have retired, the next generation will come in. “We are not a very big country and we don’t have many players.
“But being a team and togetherness, I think that’s what drives us and allows us to succeed.
“While I used to see myself as young, I am not that young anymore. I am more of a senior player and I have to mentor these young people. We are a family.”
When you speak to Williams, you immediately understand the level of admiration he has for Bellamy, who has recruited the Nottingham Forest full-back to be a key part of the team he hopes will qualify for a second successive World Cup.
Bellamy’s extreme and infectious approach to his playing career has made him one of the Premier League’s most influential strikers.
Williams says his approach to management is equally fascinating.
“As good as he is as a player, he is the same as a coach. He is obsessed with football,” Williams said.
“He talks about football all the time. He’s obsessed with Wales and that’s the kind of manager you want.”
Williams, who qualified for the 2022 World Cup by defeating Austria and Ukraine, knows what will happen in the next seven days.
Nerves, tension and stress; But Williams insists it will all be worth it if they reach the final in June.
“That means everything,” he said.
“I have been lucky enough to achieve one and to achieve the other would be an incredible achievement.
“Our play-offs faltered at the World Cup in Qatar because we played the first match in Austria and then it was postponed until the summer because of what happened in Ukraine.
“So everything about that tournament felt a little rushed. We were the last team to qualify. We had the final pick on basically everything – hotels, travel, hotels for our family.”
“And when we were there, it was our first World Cup, so we didn’t really know what to expect.
“I think we will be better if we go to the World Cup.”
