The Evolution Of Josh Williams: Academy to First Team

Having joined The Nomads at the age of nine and like every other young footballer in the club at that time, Josh Williams had that one aim, to become a supremely talented footballer at Connah's Quay Nomads.

With his eyes glued to the TV screen watching his supported club Liverpool, idolising English Premier League legend Steven Gerrard, his aim was set out from the very start. He may not have known it yet, but he was a young footballer with an extraordinary gift and was about to skyrocket his way all the way up to the first team and become one of the rising stars of the JD Cymru Premier.

Josh Williams would always praise his coaches in the youth phase. The midfielder claims coaches Dale Johnson, Steve Craig and Matt Griffiths always cared and supported him up until the age of 16.

Williams was a part of a U14s side who went on to be crowned National Champions and was a stand out performer in a much talented side. He would rack up a huge amount of hours watching and playing football and his love for the game continued to grow. Matt Griffiths commented on Josh's development: "I had the pleasure of working with Josh for three years in the academy at U14-U16 level. He’s undoubtedly one of the most talented players I've ever coached but by far the most determined and hardworking player. Myself and Dale Johnson fully believed at a younger age, he had the ability to play in the Cymru Premier if not higher and we're so proud to see him thriving in our first team. This is just the start for Josh."

Now it was time for Williams to show the Welsh football scene his ability. Coronavirus restrictions had eased and he was up and running in the U19s side coached by Gareth Richards and Richard Cusato. Williams scored in the first Cymru Development North game of the 21/22 season in a 6-0 win over local rivals Flint Town and would then find himself on the bench for four Cymru Premier games between August and October.

In October, The Nomads were drawn against Holywell in the Nathaniel MG Cup Quarter Final and then manager Craig Harrison gave Williams the opportunity to showcase his ability. The midfielder bagged his first full 90 minutes for the senior team and impressed his manager and teammates as The Nomads won 4-0 to make the semi finals. Williams claimed he'd do everything he could to thrive in his senior debut: "It was a surreal moment to make my debut for Nomads, especially against Holywell, my home town club who I've followed since I can remember, I wanted to show that I was ready to make the step up and prove myself to the team. I was so nervous going into this game as a lot of people from Holywell were already asking me about the game but that made me even more excited."

A talk of the town already, Josh Williams had arrived on the main stage, helping The Nomads progress in the Nathaniel MG Cup and was now one of the exciting prospects in the Cymru Leagues. Nomads edged closer to the Cymru North Development title and with Williams now playing in a deeper role in midfield, he was glad to showcase some versatility. "I've always preferred a midfield role, I’m confident in the No.8 and the No.10 role so it wasn’t the change of midfield position which made it harder for me, the transition and physicality from the youth phase to modern day men’s game is what makes these leagues tough."

Josh Williams was a playmaker at the spine of Gareth Richards' side, a side that clinched the 21/22 Cymru Development North title on a dramatic final day of the season against Aberystwyth, holding off title challengers The New Saints.

Williams finished the season with 16 goals and 9 assists in just 16 games, seriously catching the eye of the first team management ahead of the 22/23 season. "It was an amazing day winning the league after such a tough game against Aber, we went into half time and thought it was all over but we somehow managed to pull it back which is great for all the players. I think the second year with the U19s was massive as everything changed, I went from training just with Nomads to training everyday in the gym and on the pitch. It took a lot of hard work to make it to the first team but getting there is one achievement and proving yourself is another."

Following Craig Harrison's departure from Deeside, The Nomads welcomed in new manager Neil Gibson who was instantly a fan of Williams and his talent on the pitch. Williams had racked up 335 minutes of first team action by the end of September and was continuing to be a mainstay in the matchday squad. It seemed that Williams was the favoured set piece taker, from free kicks to corners, the youngster caused danger with every ball. He assisted skipper George Horan against Denbigh in the Welsh Cup and in the next round versus Colwyn Bay, set up former Nomad Mike Hayes in a convincing win. "Yeah since I was young I’ve always taken free kicks, corners, set pieces etc. and it has come from years of going to local pitches and practicing all the time during school holidays, now it’s staying after training with all the players and practicing all the time so when it comes to the games, I'm ready" claimed the midfielder. "We have little competitions on who can score the most/best free kicks, we have a lot of great free kick takers so to even be up there as an option to take them is a great feeling." The 19 year old continued "As for my technique, I try to whip the ball with curl and top spin. I always watch Trent Alexander-Arnold's technique and try to replicate that but it really does take a lot of practice."

The first phase of the Cymru Premier was reaching its business end with several clubs fighting for a top six position. The Nomads were sat second behind runaway leaders TNS and with Penybont, Bala and Cardiff Met chasing the top two, The Nomads knew they needed to pick up some key results to maintain a strong grip in second. The Nomads faced a tough festive schedule with 4 games to be played in the space of 11 days. Josh Williams started December having played the full 90 minutes against Airbus and Aberystwyth and now this football-mad youngster was a key name to look out for on The Nomads team sheet. His performance kept improving, all that hard work in the youth phase, in the garden and after training sessions was beginning to pay off. Williams started the first game of Phase Two against Newtown and with Nomads trailing for the majority of the game, Williams came up clutch as he put one on a plate for Mike Wilde to clinch a point away from home. The appearances kept on coming, the minutes continued to rack up, his performances continued to impress the manager and now The Nomads were on the brink of qualifying for Europe.

In the midst of a very competitive Phase Two in the Cymru Premier, the Cymru C squad was named in March 2023. To his delight, Josh Williams received the call up from manager Mark Jones along with then teammate Aeron Edwards. A dedicated young lad with endless amounts of desire for football would finally represent his country against a number of National League players in the England C camp.

Williams says it's "probably the biggest achievement I've had in football to date" and that it was "an unbelievable experience." Williams learned so much from representing his country in March, something he probably wouldn't have even thought about when in the U9s academy. The midfielder also emphasised how much it meant to his family, who have been so close to him and have supported him every step of the way. "When I got the call from 'Jonah' (Mark Jones), I was ecstatic and everyone in the family was buzzing for me to have the opportunity to represent Wales and the Cymru Premier."

The Nomads had four games of Phase Two remaining and after beating Bala 2-1 away from home, a massive roar from all the players including Josh was heard across Maes Tegid as Nomads finally edged out Bala after suffering two frustrating losses to them earlier in the season in the Nathaniel MG Cup Final and JD Welsh Cup Semi Final. Up next was Cardiff Met at Cyncoed Campus, The Nomads were seeking revenge following a 2-0 loss to The Archers at the start of the season. Williams was handed his 23rd start of the season by Neil Gibson and was a part of a Nomads eager to all but confirm their place in the UEFA Conference League. This day became one of the most memorable days in Williams' career as he scored his first ever Cymru Premier sending The Nomads fans at Cyncoed and back home into raptures as this rising star bagged one of the most crucial goals of the club’s season. Heading into every game, Williams states: "I take all information, tactics, set pieces and the opposition into account but after that I try not to think about anything and just relax so when it comes to in-game situations, it all happens naturally. I feel like when I keep overthinking opportunities before a game it starts to have a reverse effect and creates pressure for myself so I try to just chill and prepare myself that way."

Williams shared with us what it meant to score his first Cymru Premier goal for the club: "The first goal was massive for me personally, just all the hard work paying off to finally get one, it was a long time coming and that’s why my aim is this year, to contribute with more goals and assists. It helped my confidence a lot as being a young lad, not many really get the chance to play in this league as it’s so tough so for me to get my name out there was huge and really boosted my confidence."

The Nomads faced Penybont knowing just a point would secure a spot in the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying rounds. Williams again played another brilliant 90 minutes in midfield and after a points deduction the season before prevented Nomads from qualifying for Europe, they weren’t to be stopped this time. The Nomads had done it, European qualification once again and in Neil Gibson’s first season in charge, the ultimate aim was achieved. Williams finished the Cymru Premier campaign with 20 appearances, 1,519 minutes to his name and of course that all important goal against Cardiff Met. Williams was also recognised in the end of season awards, receiving a nomination for Young Player Of The Season in just his first full season for the first team, another incredible achievement the youngster should be proud of. There is certainly more to come from the midfielder during the 2023/24 season and with The Nomads strengthening in every area of the pitch, Williams is ready for the competition and is pushing for more games in a Nomads shirt.

The Nomads were drawn against Icelandic side KA Akureyri in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League. At just 19 years old, Josh Williams would be playing on the European stage for the club he had been at since the age of nine. Experiences don’t come much better than this and from kicking a ball around in his garden, playing out with his childhood friends and thriving in the roots of the club’s academy, Josh Williams had finally made it to playing in a UEFA competition, something every young and upcoming footballer dreams about. "Playing in Europe with Nomads after being at the club for so long is massive, I grew up watching the games in Europe so finally achieving something like this for myself was amazing. The aim is of course to get to European football again but to hopefully push on a few rounds. Sharing the pitch with people like Dis and Cal is great as you learn so much and you always feel comfortable knowing that players as good as those are on your team."

It wasn't to be for The Nomads in Europe this year, suffering back to back defeats against KA Akureyri but Williams is certain he and the lads can get there once again and hopefully progress onto the next rounds to make Welsh football fans proud. Williams is now raring to go ahead of the new season and has set out his aims ahead of the domestic season starting on 5th August. "We’re focusing now on the domestic season and we're ready to go. The hard work we’ve put in all across pre season shows that we want to improve and push for the league and go far in the cup competitions. For me personally, it's to score and assist more and help the team as much as I can to win games. I'm looking forward to another year so we can hopefully bring more success than the last. Fingers crossed."

When it comes to rising stars shining in the Cymru Premier, very few get the chance to put their name on the map as a league full of incredible veterans will steal the show. However, The Nomads Academy have gone on to produce some amazing players over the years. From Rhys Healey’s brilliance over in France to Ben Nash's impressive second spell at the club, we will all remember the name Josh Williams as this lad will go onto big things down the line, we cannot wait to see our No.28 back on the pitch. The future is bright and this is only the beginning.

Date Published: Friday, 4th August, 2023 - 1:30pm by Adam Angerer