Morecambe have added Premier League experience to their ranks with the short-term loan of Rhys Williams.
The League Two club will have the Liverpool centre-back until January, marking his fifth loan move away from Anfield and fourth in the EFL. Williams has appeared for Swansea City and Blackpool previously, with his last action in senior football coming for The Tangerines back in 2022.
Last season saw the Welsh international move to Aberdeen but failed to record a senior appearance for the Deesiders, playing in one cup game for the Under 21’s side. He had also been sent to Port Vale, but an injury curtailed the loan just days after arriving in Staffordshire.
Morecambe confirmed they had secured a deal for Williams, making him the eighteenth name through the door at The Shrimps. Derek Adams’ side have lost all three of their competitive games so far, with 1-0 defeats to Walsall and Gillingham in League Two and a 3-0 one against Huddersfield Town in the Cup.
Multiple League One clubs were rumoured to be pursuing a deal for the 23-year-old earlier in the window, as well as clubs in Turkey. Whilst fellow academy graduate Billy Koumetio was released by The Reds in order to move to Dundee, Arne Slot has instead opted for a loan move.
Williams was thrust into the limelight at Anfield in the midst of an injury crisis at the club, partnering alongside former Cardiff City loanee Nat Phillips, but the emergence of Jarell Quansah and the signing of Ibrahima Konate pushed the former Kidderminster Harriers player to the peripheries at the club.
Speaking to the club media upon his arrival in Lancashire, Williams said: “I’m delighted, the Manager has given me a chance to come and play football here and that’s the main thing.
“I want him to be able to trust me, I want to come in and impress the fans so hopefully we have a successful season.
“After speaking to the manager, I always wanted to go and play for him. I spoke to a few of the boys and they were all really complimentary about the club, the staff and fans, so there was only one place I wanted to go.”
The Shrimps face off against Doncaster Rovers in their next League Two match, looking to get their first points of the season in South Yorkshire.
Writer’s View
Rhys Williams is still a young player all things considered, but his lack of game time has weighed him down. With the nearly two years that has passed since his last senior match, it is understandable why he has dropped to League Two and Morecambe with this move. There is a Championship-level player in there, and should Derek Adams be able to unlock that, this will have been a great deal for his side.
A big concern is his injury that stopped him playing for Port Vale. It was unknown what happened to stop him staying at Vale Park, but it must have been serious enough for it to be recalled. Williams has picked up at minimum month-long injuries in his past three seasons, so there should be some caution.
He does have a good chemistry with new team-mate Adam Lewis, who he played with in the Academy setup at Liverpool. It ultimately is a good move for all involved, with Morecambe getting a quality player that needs to refind form, and assists Liverpool when it comes time to sell Williams to other clubs in the future.
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