Zac Williams (Welsh footballer)

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Zac Williams
Personal information
Full name Michael Issac Williams[1]
Date of birth (2004-03-27) 27 March 2004 (age 20)
Place of birth Rhyl, Wales
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.82 m)[2]
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Crewe Alexandra
Number 4
Youth career
2012–2021 Crewe Alexandra
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021– Crewe Alexandra 60 (2)
International career‡
2021– Wales U18 2 (0)
2021– Wales U19 5 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:20, 13 March 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 08:56, 29 September 2022 (UTC)

Michael Isaac Williams, better known as Zac Williams, (born 27 March 2004) is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a defender for EFL League Two club Crewe Alexandra.

Club career[edit]

He made his Crewe debut, aged 17, on 9 November 2021 in an EFL Trophy group game against Wolverhampton Wanderers' under-21's at Gresty Road,[3] before making his league debut in the following game, a 2–0 defeat at Bolton Wanderers.[4] He made his first start in Crewe's next game, helping the side to a 2–0 win over Gillingham at Gresty Road on 20 November 2021,[5] and then enjoyed a run of games as one of Crewe's first choice centre-backs until falling ill in January 2022.[6] He returned to first-team action, coming on as a half-time substitute for Travis Johnson against Portsmouth at Gresty Road, on 8 March 2022.[7]

In May 2022, Williams signed a new contract at Crewe.[8] After 19 first-team appearances the following season, Williams suffered a torn hamstring which was initially thought likely to rule him out of action for the remainder of the season.[9] However, he returned to the first team on 29 April 2023, making a substitute appearance in Crewe's 2–1 win over Swindon Town at Gresty Road.[10] Williams scored his first Crewe goal, in a 2–2 draw against Swindon at the County Ground, on 12 August 2023.[11]

In early 2024, Williams missed a series of games after incurring an ankle injury which required prolonged treatment.[12][13] He returned to regular training at the end of February 2024.[14]

International career[edit]

After winning caps at under-15 and under-16, captaining the team for the latter, he played for the Wales under-18s in March 2021 against England before winning a second cap against the same opposition in September of the same year.[15][16]

Williams was called up to the Wales under-19s squad for the 2022 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualifiers against Georgia, Norway and Kosovo, and made appearances against the latter two in October 2021.[17][18] He earned three further under-19 caps, playing as captain against Hungary[19] and Republic of Ireland,[20] and, after coming on as a second half substitute, scoring against Gibraltar,[21] in 2023 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualifiers on 21, 24 and 27 September 2022 respectively.[22]

Career statistics[edit]

As of 12 March 2024.
Club Season Division League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Crewe Alexandra 2021–22[23] League One 19 0 0 0 0 0 1[a] 0 20 0
2022–23[24] League Two 18 0 1 0 1 0 2[a] 0 22 0
2023–24[25] League Two 23 2 1 0 2 0 1[a] 0 27 2
Crewe Alexandra total 60 2 2 0 3 0 4 0 69 2
  1. ^ a b c Appearances in EFL Trophy

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Notification of shirt numbers: Crewe Alexandra" (PDF). English Football League. p. 25. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Michael Williams – Defender". www.crewealex.net. Crewe Alexandra F.C. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Crewe 3–0 Wolves Under-21s". Crewe Alexandra F.C. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Bolton 2–0 Crewe". Crewe Alexandra F.C. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Crewe Alexandra 2–0 Gillingham". BBC Sport. 20 November 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  6. ^ "Williams Still Ruled Out With Illness". CreweAlex.net. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Crewe Alexandra 1–3 Portsmouth". BBC Sport. 8 March 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  8. ^ "Zac Williams: Wales U19 defender agrees new Crewe Alexandra deal". BBC Sport. 24 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  9. ^ Baggaley, Michael (3 January 2023). "Crewe Alex injury update on Zac Williams, Charlie Colkett and Callum Ainley". Cheshire Live. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  10. ^ "Crewe Alexandra 2-1 Swindon Town". BBC Sport. 29 April 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  11. ^ "Swindon Town 2-2 Crewe Alexandra". BBC Sport. 12 August 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  12. ^ "Injury Update: Williams & Tabiner". Crewe Alexandra F.C. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  13. ^ "Injury Update: Tabiner, Williams, Booth, Long, Thomas & Holicek". CreweAlex.net. 15 February 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  14. ^ "Injury Update: Offord, Williams, Long & Finney". CreweAlex.net. 29 February 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  15. ^ "CYMRU DENIED BY LATE ENGLAND EQUALISER IN U18 DRAW". FAW. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  16. ^ "Welsh Duo Make International Appearances". Vital Crewe. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  17. ^ "Norway 5–0 Wales". UEFA.com. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  18. ^ "Kosovo 0–3 Wales". UEFA.com. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  19. ^ "Wales 0 – 0 Hungary". Uefa.com. 21 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  20. ^ "Republic of Ireland 2–0 Wales". Uefa.com. 24 September 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  21. ^ "Gibraltar 2–9 Wales". Uefa.com. 27 September 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  22. ^ "Wales under-19s – UEFA 2023". DragonSoccer.co.uk. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  23. ^ "Games played by Zac Williams in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  24. ^ "Games played by Zac Williams in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  25. ^ "Games played by Zac Williams in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 August 2022.


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