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When Reese Williams extended his contract with Liverpool at the start of the season until 2025, no one expected the 19-year-old central defender to become an important player for Jurgen Klopp’s team so quickly.
The talent, born in 2001, has already played five games since the start of the season, three in the Champions League and two in the League Cup. He has yet to make his Premier League debut, but it is unlikely that he will expect long for his first match in the English elite due to the many injuries the champion has to face.
After losing Virgil van Dyke for most of the season, Liverpool suffered from injuries to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez. Furthermore, Fabinho has not recovered yet either, and the other starting center back, Joel Matip, has recently returned from a hospital stay.
That’s why high hopes are being placed on Williams, who has already given some pretty positive signals with his game and earned the nickname Baby-Faced Van Dyke.
And indeed, with his afro tail and 191cm height, Ray is quite reminiscent of the Dutchman. Van Dyke is also one of his role models: “He is always calm, no matter what he does. He never panics. He is a perfect role model for everyone.
I watch all of his games on video and try to analyze certain aspects of his game that I can “steal”. “Like Van Dyke, Williams also likes to organize the team’s game and be a key player not only on the defensive axis:” I like to go a little further with the ball on my foot and take risks. “
Liverpool praise his ability to distribute the ball well, but Ray is considered the best in one-on-one matches. Like Van Dyke. And again, like the Dutchman, Williams has the qualities to influence a positive aspect of Liverpool’s game not only on defense but also on offense.
Ray Williams came to Liverpool at the tender age of ten, then went through all levels, even winning the FA Cup in 2018/19 after a penalty shootout win over Manchester City in the final.
Last season, the center-back was on loan at Kidderminster. There, the young man encountered men’s football for the first time and managed to gain experience in more serious matches and feel the rhythm of the game better.
“I knew it would be very different from playing a team under 18 or under 23, but I had to take that risk. The hardest part for me was dealing with the speed and pace of the game,” Williams said. However, the defender played 26 games in the sixth tier of English football before the coronavirus pandemic.
“When the injury plague started, player development coach Vitor Matos suggested that he look at Reese Williams: ‘He’s a great talent. He’s very promising, we have to include him in first team training.”
The truth is that I hadn’t heard anything about him until that moment, but from the first minute he managed to enchant me and since then he has helped us a lot ”, Klopp says about him.
His debut as a starter for Liverpool came in a 5-0 loss to Atalanta. “It was amazing,” Klopp said. “If he was 19 years old and had to play in the Champions League and keep (Duvan) Zapata, he would be very nervous. But he was not. He played very well on defense.”
“He didn’t make a single mistake. His performance was world-class, but he is still very young and almost inexperienced,” praised TAA, who is also injured, which will put him off the field for about a month.
Jamie Carragher added: “He adds height and quality to aerial fights, which Fabinho and Joe Gomez lack.”
After the victory over Atalanta, the young man also expressed the joy of his performance: “There was no better way than a 5-0 victory over Atalanta. I can’t find any room for joy. I am glad that the coach voted for me, and I will continue to build trust with such actions. “
What a unique change. Last season, Williams kicked in the sixth tier of English football, and now he’s Klopp’s best alternative to the heart of the defense. For now, however, it appears that Ray is ready to take on this responsibility. However, it is no coincidence that they call him Van Dyke with the baby face.
