Stoke City have managed to sign Ashley Williams on a season-long loan deal and he becomes the sixth signing under Gary Rowett. Williams is expected to make his debut against Leeds United on Sunday as his new side begin their fight for an immediate promotion back to the top flight.
Ashley Williams – Fact File
Williams spent his youth career with Tamworth and West Bromwich Albion and started his senior career with Hednesford Town.
After his promising spell with Stockport County, Swansea City signed him, initially on loan, and eventually signed him permanently. In the summer of 2016, he moved to Everton after an impressive spell at Swansea.
Williams mustered 24 appearances in the Premier League last term for the Toffees. He made 1.5 interceptions and 7.1 clearances on an average which shows that he’d be a good defender in a low-block system. The 33-year-old has been an instrumental figure for the Welsh national side as well and he captained them during their impressive Euro 2016 run.
Good move for all parties
A strong and resolute centre-back, Williams has a lot of experience in English football. He is an excellent reader of the game, can be a tough tackler when needed and is a good leader on the pitch.
New Everton manager Marco Silva has a lot of options, including Michael Keane, Mason Holgate, Phil Jagielka and Tyias Browning, so Williams making an exit, albeit temporarily, makes sense. The Welshman would have clearly struggled for regular game time had he stayed at Goodison Park.
He is due to turn 34 later this month and although he is past his peak, he could still be a good option for Rowett in the Championship. The former Birmingham City manager has indeed added more depth to his central defence.
Bruno Martins Indi and Ryan Shawcross were the first-choice central defensive pairing for Stoke City during the pre-season games, but they lacked competition.
With the arrival of Williams, none of the centre-backs can take their place in the starting XI for granted.
Given the Championship is a long and hard season, Williams’ arrival will give the fans more confidence that their side can get the job done at the back. The league isn’t as open as the top flight, so Williams’ age might not be that big an issue as he is pretty experienced for the Championship.
