Inaki Williams became one of the most recent foreign-born football stars to change national team allegiances and join up with the Black Stars. Williams is Athletic Bilbao’s top player but hasn’t had much interest from the Spanish national team. The forward has appeared in just one match for Spain and that fixture was in 2016. Williams qualifies for Ghana through his parents and is now preparing to play for the Black Stars at November’s World Cup.
Williams made the switch in July and stated the football offseason was the best time to switch from Spain to Ghana. The Athletic Club forward believes it is a decision he won’t regret.
Ghana football fans are preparing for the World Cup in November. Fans are debating whether or not the Black Stars can reach the last 16. National team supporters can use the Betway registration in Ghana to sign up for the sportsbook and wager on the Black Stars’ World Cup campaign.
Now 28, Williams came through the Athletic Club academy. He joined the first team in 2014 and has been a stalwart in the side ever since. Athletic Club are renowned for only signing players with Basque heritage. Due to Williams being born in Bilbao, he qualifies for the club’s strict Basque-only policy.
Fans of football video games such as FIFA and Football Manager knew about Williams long before he burst onto the scenes in Spain. As a teenager, Williams was seen as one of the next big stars of Spanish football. However, the forward has never reached the “next level” resulting in a transfer away from Athletic Club to one of Spain’s big three (Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid).
In 2019, Williams was rewarded for his dedication to Athletic Club with a contract extension to the year 2028. According to one report, Williams earns over £3 million per season thanks to the new contract.
Williams’s only appearance for the Spanish national team was versus Bosnia around six years ago. The forward also played for the Spain U-21 team. Williams no longer wants to waste his best years waiting for Spain to call him up. His desire to play international football led to the switch to Ghana. Williams is now on track to play for Ghana at the World Cup.
“Despite being born in Europe, I have my African roots and Ghanaian blood,” Williams said after making the switch. “I think this is the best moment to make that decision. I don’t think I will regret it because these trains only come by once.
“I wasn’t going to have this opportunity again and I think I made the right choices. I will enjoy the moment, my roots and repay the chance Ghana has given me. I think I will enjoy it on the sporting side and personally.”
Williams is not the only player to switch allegiances to Ghana in 2022. Joining the Athletic Club player are Stephen Ambrosius, Ransford-Yeboah Konigsdorffer, Tariq Lamptey, and Patric Pfeiffer. The addition of the five players will add depth and quality to manager Otto Addo’s national team. Of course, all five will hope that Addo selects them for the World Cup in Qatar.
The Black Stars will play Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay in Group H at the World Cup. Although it is a difficult group, Ghana do have the talent to progress.