Nico still some way from his ceiling | OneFootball

Nico Williams turned 24 last Sunday, yet his ceiling still feels distant. After two injury-hit seasons, the Spain winger has passed quietly through the tournament in America, but his pace and one-v-one threat still stand out. A fully firing Nico could trouble Argentina on Sunday, particularly down the weak flank of Nahuel Molina.

As reported by as.com, Marcelino García Toral, who handed him his top-flight debut, felt he could have featured sooner but stayed with Bilbao Athletic before stepping up the next pre-season. He regards Williams as differential and still some way from his potential.

Pubalgia stalled his surge. Marcelino says the issue is especially limiting for his profile and that, once definitively behind him, he could recover the physical edge that defines his game.

Agent Félix Tainta recalls heavy pressure and summers of rumours, adding he often urged Nico to stop. Williams has spoken of stabbing pain, playing under anaesthetic and vomiting after matches, a stretch he has called a terrible season.

The family’s route from Ghana to Spain was perilous, and elder brother Iñaki long shouldered responsibilities. The pair finally played together on 28 April 2021 against Valladolid in an empty San Mamés. Williams has since committed to Athletic until 2035 with a clause near 90 million, a choice he believes was right, and Iñaki read as maturity.

He now wears number 10 and made the 2024 Ballon d’Or shortlist, the first Athletic player to do so.

Source: as.com