Liverpool loanee Rhys Williams has revealed a valuable piece of advice given to him by Trent Alexander-Arnold earlier this season.
Williams, 23, is mostly remembered by Liverpool fans for his appearances during the 2020-21 campaign, when he played 19 times for the Reds as Jurgen Klopp wrestled with an injury crisis at the club.
Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez missed a combined total of 111 matches after suffering season-ending injuries, and Williams was handed his chance in the team as a result, with the Reds eventually recording a creditable third-place finish in the Premier League.
Williams remains contracted to Liverpool but has not played for the Reds since that season, spending time on loan at Kidderminster Harriers, Swansea City, Blackpool, Aberdeen, Port Vale and Morecambe.
I heard blunt Kyle Walker and Pep Guardiola messages that say it all about huge Liverpool chance Trent Alexander-Arnold injury latest as Arne Slot offers update on Liverpool ace - 'Always serious'Morecambe is where Williams currently finds himself, and during a recent interview with Sky Sports he revealed how Alexander-Arnold gave him a crucial piece of advice over the summer which he took with him to the Lancashire club.
“I think it was Trent said, when I went back to Liverpool after I’ve been at Port Vale," Williams said. “He was having a chat with one of the staff, though, and he was like, ‘the availability is the best ability in football.'
“That really made me realize that as long as you’re fit, you’re always gonna have a chance to get on the grass. So, it don’t matter if someone’s ahead of you. They could get injured or whatever. As long as you’re available and you’re ready and you’re training every day, eventually you’re gonna get a go.”
Following that advice has stood Williams in good stead so far this season, with the young center-back having played in 12 of Morecambe's 13 league games.
Williams is contracted to Liverpool until 2026 but his chances of ever appearing for the first team again appear slim considering he has not played for the Reds in over three years.
Still, Williams has fond memories of his brief stint as a Liverpool first-teamer. "I didn't think in my wildest expectations I was going to come back and get thrust into the limelight like that," Williams told Sky Sports.
"I didn't really have much time to think about what was going on, and that made it a bit easier. "I was playing with elite players, one of the best teams in the world. So going into it, being so young, I don't think expectations of me were that high. It was a roller coaster of a journey, but I took every minute and thing I could have taken from it, and I try and use what I learned to this day."
