Excl: “Something I Have Taken From Him…” – Rhys Williams On Learning From Liverpool ‘Leader’ | OneFootball

By Priya Kaur

In a recent interview with centre-half, Rhys Williams, he reflected on his loan spell at Morecambe and his future ambitions.

Morecambe secured a vital 2-0 victory against Accrington Stanley on Saturday, a result that the defender described as exactly what the team needed at this stage of the season, fighting to stay in League Two.

“Yes, a hundred percent. The gaffer put a lot of trust in me to get my feet back under the table, which is what I have been craving. There’s nothing worse than having injuries and not being selected, but the lads have made me feel welcome so for me it was a no-brainer for me. As long as I am on the grass and playing, I’m happy and that’s the main thing for me as a footballer.”

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One of the more comforting aspects of Rhys’ loan spell has been the opportunity to play alongside the left-back Adam Lewis. The pair have now shared the pitch 61 times across youth levels and now with Morecambe.

“As annoying as he can be, it is really nice to play with him! He loves to throw in a tackle. He’s class alongside you; you know you can give him the ball and he will handle it in tight situations. It was nice when he first came that I had a familiar face, and it made me feel more comfortable with the lads straight away.”

Saturday’s match was a feisty Lancashire derby, and Rhys stepped up to lead the defensive line, a responsibility he has been developing since his time with Liverpool, playing with the likes of Virgil van Dijk.

“I think that leadership is something that my manager wanted me to do more and more as I grew into the team. I have obviously been around Ibou, Virg and Joe, and they’re all good leaders in their own way. But I definitely take the vocal side of things from Virg because it helps me as well as the boys in front of me. You can put them in positions where it helps you, helps them, so it’s definitely something I have taken from him.”

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With the immediate goal of securing Morecambe’s League Two status, Rhys remains focused but also has his eyes on his long-term career.

“As footballers, we all have aspirations to play at the highest levels possible. Here, we all want to keep the club in the league, and I think we have enough quality and enough passion behind us to do that. The fans are brilliant.”

“For myself, looking to the future, I’ve got another year at Liverpool, so in the summer we will see what happens. But I just want to get back to the top where I played and hopefully, I can get back to it.”

Lastly, reflecting on his time at Liverpool, Rhys acknowledged the surreal nature of his partnership with Nat Phillips, during the club’s injury crisis. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The way it came around meant that I didn’t have enough time to think or get nervous. Jurgen put trust in me so at that moment I thought I must be good enough.”

“It was one of those things where you either sink or swim, and with the players that were around me, it was always more of a help than a hindrance. I had one of the best midfield three in the world in front of me! I do look back at the memories fondly, and it’s definitely something I aspire to get back to.”

Rhys’ journey continues as he looks to build confidence, minutes, and form- all while contributing to the club’s survival battle in League Two.