33-cap international turns down Bradford City transfer in favour of Gillingham in shock u-turn | OneFootball

Wales international midfielder Jonny Williams is set to sign for Gillingham - despite a move to their League Two rivals Bradford City looking a certainty.

It was reported on Monday evening by Phil Cadden of The Sun that Williams, who has amassed 33 caps for the Wales national team, was set to link up with the Bantams, presumably with manager Mark Hughes playing a major part in making a move happen as a Cymru legend.

However, in a shock change of heart, Williams will now be heading to Kent to play for Neil Harris and the Gills, according to the Telegraph and Argus.

There was a three-year deal on the table for Williams at Valley Parade that was set to be signed, with a medical pencilled in for midday and a signing reveal by the club later on in the evening, according to Simon Parker of the Telegraph and argus, however the 29-year-old will join Gillingham instead.

Parker has suggested that Gillingham came in at the last minute and offered more money for the attacking midfielder, and that could definitely be the case.

The Gills were taken over by American businessman Brad Galinson back in December and with the club sitting in the drop zone of League two and staring back to back relegations in the face, money was invested into Harris' playing squad.

Fees were spent on George Lapslie, Oliver Hawkins and Tom Nichols among others and they comfortably survived in League Two, and you'd expect them to be pushing for promotion in 2023-24.

Location however may have played a part for Williams as well.

Williams was born in Pembury, which is in Kent and is only 26 miles by road to Gillingham, so it would represent a move much closer to home than Bradford would be and that was perhaps a major factor in his decision too.

Is Jonny Williams a good signing for Gillingham?

Williams of course brings plenty of international experience to the table but his major flaw over the years has been injuries.

He's played in just less than 300 club games in his 12-year professional career so far, but at Swindon Town for the last two years he appears to have gotten over his fitness concerns.

Williams racked up 84 appearances for the Robins over the past two seasons, scoring 15 goals and notching 10 assists in that time, and with 10 of those goals coming last season it certainly cements him as one of the top creative players in the whole division.