There are players who face incredible pain as a result of injuries in order to continue playing and not disappoint their colleagues and fans. But the efforts of Iñaki Williams, a central figure in recent years at Athletic Bilbao, “deserve to be talked about”, said the Spanish-Ghanaian player’s coach.
“Iñaki Williams was in an accident two years ago while on vacation: he stepped on broken glass and received a deep gash on the sole of his foot. He complained about the scar for several months, received treatment and after the final [da Taça do Rei] had a resonance,” he began by saying at a press conference ahead of the championship meeting with Rayo Vallecano that the athlete would fail.
“There was glass inside the foot because the wound was stitched up, leaving this piece inside. It was two centimeters of glass and was close to the tendon. I had to dissolve and remove the glass from the foot,” concluded Ernesto Valverde. .
This setback did not stop Williams from making Basque history by playing 251 consecutive games between 2016 and 2023.
The 29-year-old, who plays for Bilbao alongside his brother Nico, managed to lead the team to victory in the Copa del Rey after an absence of 40 years.