World Cup 2022: Neco Williams played after suffering family bereavement

Neco Williams is consoled by manager Robert Page at the end of the gameGetty Images

Neco Williams is consoled by Wales manager Robert Page at the end of the game

Defender Neco Williams has revealed he played in Wales' opening World Cup game one day after being told his grandfather had died.

Williams, who was substituted in the second half of the 1-1 draw against the USA in Doha, was in tears at the end of the game.

The 21-year-old pointed to the sky in tribute to Kelvin Jones.

"To go from crying all day to start in a World Cup game was extremely tough," Williams tweeted.

Harry Wilson praises Wales team-mate Neco Williams' 'courage' after his grandfather's death

"But I got through it from the support of my team-mates and family."

The Nottingham Forest player had spoken of the influence of his family, including his grandfather, before the tournament.

"I think it's my grandad who I got it off," Williams told BBC Sport Wales.

"He was a good player and got scouted for a few teams back in his days and was one of the best footballers around my village."

"Injuries stopped him, so I've continued what could have been for him."

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post by Neco Williams

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy and privacy policy before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Team-mate Connor Roberts also dedicated the performance to his own grandfather, who he revealed died just before the Wales squad flew to Qatar.

This Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Instagram
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip instagram post by crjroberts

Allow Instagram content?

This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy and privacy policy before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Related topics