Jacques_Williams

Jacques Williams

Jacques Williams

English footballer

Jacques Roger Williams (born 25 April 1981) is a professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Birmingham City in the Football League.

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Football career

Williams was born in Wallasey, Cheshire, and raised in France.[3] He started his football career in the youth system at Bordeaux, and played for the Bordeaux junior side which won the French under-18 championship.[4] At the age of 18 he came to England with fellow French youngster Trésor Luntala for trials with Birmingham City, and both players signed on free transfers before the 1999–2000 season.[3] Williams was on standby for the England under-18 match against Switzerland in September 1999, but an ankle problem prevented his taking part,[5] and he was named in the preliminary squad for European Under-18 Championship qualifiers in October but remained unused.[6][7] He made his first-team debut for Birmingham in August 2000, playing once in the League Cup and then three First Division matches, but his development was interrupted by the need for a double hernia operation.[8] Though he recovered sufficiently to resume playing reserve team football, scoring the goals which put the team into the semifinal of the Birmingham Senior Cup,[9] a spate of injuries meant that those four games were all he played for Birmingham's first team before being released when his contract expired.[4]

He had a trial at Crewe Alexandra, on the recommendation of former assistant manager Brian Eastick, then academy director at Birmingham,[10] but no contract ensued.

He joined Conference club Scarborough for the 2003–04 season, but sustained a broken rib and punctured lung in only his second game, complications from which meant a prolonged stay in hospital and three months out of football.[11][12] Returning to action in November 2003, he played a further ten league games,[13] but was only an unused substitute in the club's FA Cup fourth round match against Premier League club Chelsea,[14] despite scoring and hitting the post in the preceding league game.[15] He then injured an ankle,[16] and was released at the end of the season.[17]

He spent the 2005–06 season with Belgian Second Division club Excelsior Virton for whom he made three substitute appearances.[18]

In August 2006 he had a trial with Brighton & Hove Albion, scoring in an 11–0 rout of French amateur side Racing Club Port du Havre and making a promising substitute appearance in a 2–0 defeat against Le Havre AC,[19][20] but manager Mark McGhee decided against signing him.[21]

References

  1. [1]
    "Jacques Williams". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  2. [2]
    Rollin, Glenda; Rollin, Jack, eds. (2000). Playfair Football Annual 2000–2001. Headline. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-7472-6620-4.
  3. [3]
    Tattum, Colin (15 July 1999). "French coup for Francis". Black Country Evening Mail. West Bromwich. p. 102 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. [4]
    "Jacques of all trades". Scarborough F.C. 2 August 2003. Archived from the original on 18 June 2006. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
  5. [5]
    Simpson, John (12 September 1999). "A Brummie bonjour to French kids". Sunday Mercury. Birmingham. p. 100 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. [6]
    Tattum, Colin (24 September 1999). "Call-up gloom for Blues boss". Birmingham Evening Mail. p. 109 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. [7]
    "Match results under 19 1985–2010". England Football Online. Chris Goodwin and Glen Isherwood. 24 September 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  8. [8]
    "Football: Stan's the man to keep Blues on pace". Birmingham Post. 3 October 2000. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via NewsBank.
  9. [9]
    "Blues are too strong for Boro". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 14 February 2001. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via The Free Library (Farlex).
  10. [10]
    "Midfielder and striker are hoping to shine on trial". Crewe Guardian. 3 July 2002. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  11. [11]
    "Williams still in hospital". Scarborough F.C. 6 September 2003. Archived from the original on 18 June 2006.
  12. [12]
    "Williams resumes training". BBC Sport. 28 October 2003. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
  13. [13]
    "Player Details: Season 2003–2004 Jacques Williams". SoccerFactsUK. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
  14. [14]
    "Scarborough 0–1 Chelsea". BBC Sport. 24 January 2004. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
  15. [15]
    Welbourn, Peter (18 January 2004). "Jacques the lad – Conference". News of the World. London. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via NewsBank.
  16. [16]
    "Shrews news". Scarborough F.C. 19 February 2004. Archived from the original on 18 June 2006.
  17. [17]
    "Nationwide Conference club-by-club guide 2004/2005". The Daily Telegraph. London. 13 August 2004. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  18. [18]
    "Jacques Williams". SportWereld.be (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
  19. [19]
    Camillin, Paul (1 August 2006). "Comprehensive victory for Albion". Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  20. [20]
    "Albion back on Brittain's trail". The Argus. Brighton. 22 July 2006. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  21. [21]
    Gurney, Tom (26 July 2006). "July 26: Loan man a must after Hinsh blow". The Argus. Brighton. Retrieved 6 November 2023.

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