Iñaki Williams blocked Ghana’s courtship for a long time – trip changed “everything”

World Championship duel with brother Nico possible

The Ghanaian Football Association fought for Iñaki Williams for a long time, the attacker from Athletic Club from Bilbao kept getting rejected, until the 28-year-old finally agreed a few months ago to play for his parents’ home country. Since then, Williams, who was born in Bilbao, has three international matches under coach Otto Addo. These games had to be enough for the right foot to find his way in the team until the World Cup. The opponents Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay are waiting there in Group H.

For Williams, who is the second most valuable player in the Black Stars’ World Cup squad with a market value of €25 million, a trip to Ghana “changed everything”, as he said in an interview with the “Guardiansreported. “The coach called several times. They wanted to show me how interested they were in me, how much they liked me, and how good they thought I was. But I wasn’t sure until I traveled to Ghana with my parents, family and girlfriend this summer. We looked at the country, the family in Accra and Kumasi. It was so emotional, like the whole town was waiting for me when I got out of the car. It was amazing.”

A conversation with his 90-year-old grandfather Richard made him change his mind once and for all. “I told him I could play for Ghana at the World Cup and what he thought of it. He immediately said he didn’t have long to live and dreamed of his grandson playing for Ghana. There was nothing left to think about,” added Williams, who is “very lucky” to have made the decision because it brings him closer to his roots and culture.

Williams doubts nomination: “Could miss important games for Athletic”

Of course, the successful qualification of the “Black Stars” for the World Cup played a role in his decision even before the trip, but there were doubts about that elsewhere. “I don’t want to lie, that helped. But I still wasn’t sure. I could miss important games for Athletic, which could be a problem.” Williams hasn’t missed a game in LaLiga for over six years, making 247 straight appearances for the Basques in the Spanish top flight, a record-holder.

In addition to wooing coach Addo and the federation’s president, whom he had dismissed in the past with the words “I feel Basque and can’t cheat,” Williams also sought talks with current and former players. “I spoke to the captains: Jordan (Ayew), Thomas (Partey) and Daniel Amartey. I wanted their opinions because I didn’t want to cause any problems and they were very receptive. Even people like Asamoah Gyan, Michael Essien and other icons have come forward and said that they would be happy if I came,” said the offensive man, whom everyone in the national team circles Kweku, “like my parents and my Ghanaian family. You get your name after the day you were born.”

His family not only keeps their fingers crossed for Iñaki, but also for Nico (20) at the tournament. The younger brother is with Spain and came on 21 minutes in the 7-0 opener against Costa Rica. A duel between the siblings, who play together for Bilbao at the club, could wait in the quarter-finals at the earliest. “It would be incredible if two brothers could play each other at this level and I really hope that happens.”

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