Williams: I need to avoid the strike jinx
By Mark Currie, Daily Post
21 December 2006
TEENAGER
Marc Williams is keeping his fingers crossed he does not become the latest
player to fall foul of the injury jinx that has sidelined so many Wrexham
strikers this season.
The 18-year-old homegrown talent made the fourth start of his fledgling career
against League Two leaders Walsall last Saturday.
His chance came after Sunderland loan signing Kevin Smith joined a treatment
room queue that already included Neil Roberts and Juan Ugarte and, until very
recently, Lee McEvilly as well.
And there is every chance Williams will keep his place in the side against
visitors Darlington this weekend after a performance that earned him a
man-of-the-match bottle of champagne.
“Touch wood, I’m okay for injuries,” he said this week. “I broke my ankle when I
was 16, but since then I’ve been pretty lucky and steered clear of anything
major.
“Now that I’m in the first-team squad, I’m hopeful I won’t go the same way as
some of the other strikers, who have been hit by some really bad luck.
“It was good to be involved at last on Saturday, although I thought we deserved
all three points on the second-half performance, but on a personal note, I was
happy with my contribution.”
With brother Mike, 18 months his senior, now holding down a regular first-team
slot, Marc said there was no sibling rivalry and instead used the defender’s
progress as a personal benchmark.
“When Mike is doing well I’m pleased for him and the feeling is vice-versa,” he
added. “Mike has had a run of 10 or 11 games now this season, which is great for
him.
“I compare my progress with his, taking into account the age difference between
us, and I’m pretty much at the same stage now that he was at last season.
“I’m still only young and just pleased to be involved at the moment. But the
longer the injury situation at the club remains like it is, the more
opportunities there are to make an impression, and I want to show I can do it at
this level.
“I played a couple of games last year and one this season before last Saturday
and I’ve been on the bench a few times, so it was always the case I just had to
keep working hard and wait for my chance.”
The youngster believes he has more to offer once he is playing regular football.
An established member of Brian Flynn’s Wales under-19 squad, he was frequently
on international duty during the early part of the season, while more recently
he has seen several reserve-team matches postponed.
“It’s only in the last few weeks that I’ve been back here at Wrexham on a
regular week-in week-out basis, but we haven’t had many games and training is
not the same as playing matches,” he said.
“We had one friendly match last week against Macclesfield but I went into the
Walsall game quite short of match practice and I knew it was going to be a big
step up.
“I did worry about whether I would last the pace, but I got through it and I
hope what I showed will keep me in contention for this weekend.”
He added: “That’s what I want, but as I said I’m young and I’m sure that there
will be other opportunities for me at some stage of the season.”