Jacques Williams

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

Jacques Williams
Personal information
Full name Jacques Roger Williams
Date of birth (1981-04-25) 25 April 1981[1]
Place of birth Wallasey, England
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
199?–1999 Bordeaux
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2002 Birmingham City 3 (0)
2003–2004 Scarborough 12 (1)
2005–2006 Excelsior Virton 3 (0)
2007–2008 Tractor Sazi 0 (0)
2008–2009 Steel Azin 7 (1)
2009–20?? Emirates Club 44 (0)
National team
1999–2000 England U-18
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

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 represented England at under-18 level.[4] 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 hernia operation.[5] 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,[6] 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,[7] but no contract ensued.

He joined Conference side 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.[8][9] Returning in November 2003, he played a further ten league games,[10] but was only an unused substitute in the club's FA Cup fourth round match against Premier League club Chelsea,[11] despite scoring and hitting the post in the preceding league game.[12] He then injured an ankle,[13] and was released at the end of the season.[14]

He spent the 2005–06 season with Belgian Second Division club Excelsior Virton for whom he made three substitute appearances.[15]

In August 2006 he had a trial with Brighton & Hove Albion, scoring a goal in an 11–0 rout of French amateur side Racing Club Port du Havre,[16] and making a promising substitute appearance in a 2–0 defeat against Le Havre AC,[17] but manager Mark McGhee decided against signing him.[18]

References
  1. "Jacques Williams". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  2. Rollin, Glenda; Rollin, Jack, eds. (2000). Playfair Football Annual 2000–2001. Headline. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-7472-6620-4.
  3. Tattum, Colin (15 July 1999). "French coup for Francis". Birmingham Evening Mail. Archived from the original on 18 March 2018 – via HighBeam Research.
  4. "Jacques of all trades". Scarborough F.C. 2 August 2003. Archived from the original on 18 June 2006. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
  5. "Football: Stan's the man to keep Blues on pace". Birmingham Post. 3 October 2000. Retrieved 31 March 2008 – via NewsBank.
  6. "Blues are too strong for Boro". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 14 February 2001. Retrieved 18 March 2018 – via The Free Library (Farlex).
  7. "Midfielder and striker are hoping to shine on trial". Crewe Guardian. 3 July 2002. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  8. "Williams still in hospital". Scarborough F.C. 6 September 2003. Archived from the original on 18 June 2006.
  9. "Williams resumes training". BBC Sport. 28 October 2003. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
  10. "Player Details: Season 2003–2004 Jacques Williams". SoccerFactsUK. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
  11. "Scarborough 0–1 Chelsea". BBC Sport. 24 January 2004. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
  12. Welbourn, Peter (18 January 2004). "Jacques the lad – Conference". News of the World. London. Retrieved 31 March 2008 – via NewsBank.
  13. "Shrews news". Scarborough F.C. 19 February 2004. Archived from the original on 18 June 2006.
  14. "Nationwide Conference club-by-club guide 2004/2005". The Daily Telegraph. London. 13 August 2004. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  15. "Jacques Williams". SportWereld.be (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2008.(in Dutch)
  16. Camillin, Paul (1 August 2006). "Comprehensive victory for Albion". Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  17. "Albion back on Brittain's trail". The Argus. Brighton. 22 July 2006. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  18. Gurney, Tom (26 July 2006). "July 26: Loan man a must after Hinsh blow". The Argus. Brighton. Retrieved 18 March 2018.

Jacques Williams at Soccerbase

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