Brandon Williams: Ipswich Town full-back must keep developing on both flanks

Brandon Williams has scored in two of his last three games for Ipswich Town

Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna believes Brandon Williams' versatility may be his biggest asset after his brilliant goal against Preston on Saturday.

The 23-year-old right-back surged forward from his own half before firing past North End keeper Freddie Woodman.

But Williams has played much of his football on the left side - a role which McKenna encouraged him in when he was a coach at Manchester United.

"He probably still says he prefers to play left-back," McKenna said.

"I've always said to him, and that was part of him coming here, that I think he should develop himself on both sides."

Williams came through the Old Trafford youth set-up before being given his first-team debut in a League Cup tie against Rochdale, just over four years ago.

He has played 21 Premier League games - scoring once in a 3-3 draw with Sheffield United in November 2019 - but spent the 2021-22 campaign on loan with Ipswich's East Anglian rivals Norwich City.

Town agreed a season-long loan for Williams in August and he has so far made 10 appearances in an in-form side, half of them starts.

"He's still very young and I don't think it's good to be always pigeonholed as a right-footed left-back because there's probably some good teams you could exclude yourself from if they explicitly want a left-footer, so it's great to have that versatility, to be able to play on both sides," McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"Of course, that's a challenge for him, because he needs to train twice as hard as the other players, tactically in terms of understanding how a team operated on both sides of the pitch, and technically to be able to execute on both sides.

"That gives him a lot of things to work on but he's a very valuable addition to a squad then because he can bring performances on both sides.

"He's got lots of years ahead of him, he's got potential and we're glad to have him and be doing that work with him - and get him beyond where he was before."

Williams' goal in the 4-2 win over Preston was his second in three games and McKenna added: "I've seen him run the ball from the halfway line plenty of times but I've not seen the ball nestle in the bottom corner too much."