“What a man, and what a leader. The best I’ve ever seen. When I think about what it means to be a captain, I think of Ashley Williams. The way that he behaves, both on and off the field, and the relationship he has with the players and staff, is very special. He’s been like a rock to us all, through everything. He’d do anything for us and you can count on Ash. As a player and supporter, my debt to this man, for everything he’s done for Wales, is huge. A winner through and through, and a genius in the Welsh shirt.”
Owain Fôn Williams
Full Name: Ashley Errol Williams
Date of Birth: 23 August 1984
Place of birth: Wolverhampton, England
Height: 1.83m
Position: Defender
Football Clubs: Tamworth, West Bromwich Albion (youth team), Hednesford Town, Stockport County, Swansea City, Everton, Stoke City, Bristol City
Number of caps for the Welsh national football team: 86
Number of goals for Wales: 2
| Ashley Williams is of Jamaican descent on his father’s side and Welsh descent on his mother’s side. |
| Ashley Williams was born and raised in England. He qualified to play for Wales because his grandfather on his mother’s side came from Rhondda in south Wales. |
| When Ashley Williams was a child, he supported Liverpool FC, and his favourite player was John Barnes. |
| Ashley Williams played his first match for Wales in March 2008. |
| When Ashley Williams played for Hednesford Town, he worked in a number of jobs to support himself – including working at a petrol station, serving in a restaurant, and a job at Drayton Manor Theme Park. |
| Ashley Williams first captained the Wales national football team on 14 November 2009. |
| Ashley Williams was the Wales national football team captain when they reached the semi-finals of the 2016 UEFA European Football Championships in France. |
| Ashley Williams famously scored a goal for Wales against Belgium in the quarter-finals of the 2016 UEFA European Football Championships, when Wales won 3-1. |
| Ashley Williams played his last game for Wales in June 2019. |
| Ashley Williams is one of the sponsors of Street Football Wales, which offers homeless people an opportunity to play football. |
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