Josh Williams (English footballer)

Joshua Aaron Williams (born 24 November 2002) is an English professional footballer who plays as a full back or winger[3] for EFL League One club Cheltenham Town, on loan from EFL Championship club Birmingham City.

Josh Williams
Personal information
Full name Joshua Aaron Williams[1]
Date of birth (2002-11-24) 24 November 2002[2]
Position(s) Full back, winger
Team information
Current team
 Cheltenham Town (on loan from Birmingham City)
Number 26
Youth career
2011–2022 Birmingham City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022– Birmingham City 7 (0)
2023– Cheltenham Town (loan) 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:08, 10 October 2023 (UTC)

Life and career

Williams attended Our Lady and St Chad Catholic Academy in Wolverhampton.[4] He joined Birmingham City's Academy in 2011 as an eight-year-old,[5] and took up a two-year scholarship with the club in July 2019.[6] According to the then academy manager Kristjaan Speakman, Williams "is a powerful and athletic player who is able to play in a range of positions. In central and wide positions he's able to run with and without the ball into dangerous spaces and in higher areas of the pitch regardless of his position, has demonstrated an eye for goal."[6]

Williams played for Birmingham's U23 team as they beat Sheffield United U23 in the national final of that season's Professional Development League. Nominally at right back, he had so little defensive work to do in the first half that the Birmingham Mail's ratings described him as "basically ... an auxiliary winger".[7] He was one of five under-18s offered their first professional contract in 2021,[8] and one of four who accepted.[9] Ahead of the 2021–22 season he played in two first-team pre-season friendlies.[10][11]

Williams made his senior debut as a substitute in Birmingham's 2021–22 FA Cup third-round match at home to League One club Plymouth Argyle, replacing Maxime Colin halfway through extra time when Birmingham were losing 1–0 and reduced to ten men.[12] His next appearance was also his first senior start, in the first round of the 2022–23 EFL Cup away to Norwich City, which Birmingham lost on penalties. The Birmingham Mail marked him 8 out of 10 in a good overall debut.[13] Four days later, Williams made his Football League debut, replacing the injured Marc Roberts after 55 minutes of the 1–0 defeat.[14] He started in six of the next seven Championship matches, and according to head coach John Eustace, was "very good playing left wing back, right wing back, anywhere we have asked him to play. For a 19-year-old to be doing that in his first season, he has been fantastic and he hasn't let anyone down."[15] He lost his place initially to loanee Manny Longelo, and dropped down the pecking order after the return to fitness of senior defenders, changes of shape, and a hamstring injury.[16][17]

In July 2023, Williams signed a three-year contract extension.[18] Injuries to full backs including Williams himself meant plans to send him out on loan were put on hold,[19] but the arrival of Cody Drameh freed him up,[20] and on 1 September he joined League One club Cheltenham Town on loan until January 2024.[21]

Career statistics
As of match played 10 October 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup EFL Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Birmingham City 2021–22[22] Championship001000—10
2022–23[23] Championship700010—80
2023–24[24] Championship000000—00
Total 701010—90
Cheltenham Town (loan) 2023–24[24] League One4000—2[lower-alpha 1]060
Career total 120101020150
  1. Appearances in EFL Trophy

References
  1. "Club list of registered players" (PDF). English Football League. 23 June 2020. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  2. "J. Williams". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  3. "Josh Williams". Birmingham City F.C. Archived from the original on 8 January 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  4. Our Lady and St Chad Catholic Academy [@OurLadyStChad] (22 July 2021). "Josh Williams signs his first professional football contract with @BCFC He has worked so hard and we are so proud" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 22 July 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021 – via Twitter.
  5. Josh Williams [@JJWILLIAMS24] (28 July 2011). "Played my first game for Birmingham City Academy we won 17-0 against Peterborough Utd" (Tweet). Retrieved 9 August 2021 – via Twitter.
  6. "Revealed: Blues' new scholars for 2019/20". Birmingham City F.C. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  7. Dick, Brian (24 May 2021). "Blues U23s vs Sheff Utd U23s player ratings: Man City trainee sparkles as George blunts Blades". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  8. "Birmingham City: Jon Toral and Dan Crowley among 13 players released". BBC Sport. 17 May 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  9. "Blues quartet sign pro deals". Birmingham City F.C. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  10. "Report: Blues 1–1 Barrow AFC". Birmingham City F.C. 20 July 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  11. "Report: Blues 7–0 Salford City XI". Birmingham City F.C. 24 July 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  12. "Birmingham City vs. Plymouth Argyle 0–1". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  13. Lee, Matt (9 August 2022). "Birmingham City player ratings as Bellingham, Chang & Williams shine in Norwich defeat". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  14. Pearlman, Michael (13 August 2022). "Cardiff City 1–0 Birmingham City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  15. Dick, Brian (29 September 2022). "John Eustace opens up on Birmingham City move that could save them millions". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  16. Dick, Brian (12 October 2022). "The one big Birmingham City call John Eustace has to make at Hull City". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  17. Dick, Brian (19 January 2023). "Birmingham City given triple boost ahead of Preston North End clash". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  18. "Blues quartet sign new contracts". Birmingham City F.C. 3 July 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  19. Dicken, Alex (23 August 2023). "Explained: What could happen at Birmingham City before transfer deadline". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  20. Jones, Jordan (1 September 2023). "Birmingham City defender on deadline day move despite penning multi-year deal". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  21. "Blues' Josh Williams loaned to Cheltenham Town". Birmingham City F.C. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  22. "Games played by Josh Williams in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  23. "Games played by Josh Williams in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  24. "Games played by Josh Williams in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
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