Swindon Town’s Jonny Williams has revealed what being at the FIFA World Cup was like in an interview with the Adver - and whether it stacks up against playing in a European Championship Semi-Final.
The midfielder was called up to represent the Wales national team in Qatar in what was their first World Cup finals outing since 1958.
Despite not being afforded a minute on the pitch in the Dragons’ games against the United States, Iran and England, Williams loved the international adventure.
“It was an amazing experience for myself being able top go to a World Cup as I never thought I would go to one,” he said.
Much had been made of the temperatures in Qatar prior to the World Cup kicking off, with many citing the temperatures to be too hot to play football in as well as air conditioning having to be used at the newly built stadiums.
The temperature did have its effect on Williams as to be expected with the contrast being sharp to the cold days that Swindon has been experiencing in the past week.
“It’s hot and I struggle in the heat at the best of times to be fair, even when its 20 degrees here,” he laughed.
“The evening games in Qatar were not too bad with the air conditioning in the stadiums but when training in the day it was pretty hot.”
Although there is little more commendable than representing one’s country at a World Cup, the Town player affirmed that the 2016 European Championships in France remains the career highlight.
Wales were by no means favourites to progress far but through the talents of Williams, Bale and the rest of the talented squad, the Dragons managed to make it to the semi-finals, beating the likes of Belgium on the way.
“I didn’t play a minute at the World Cup but in terms of qualifying and being part of that squad and then going, it’s obviously up there,” he revealed.
“It’s hard to look beyond playing in the semi-finals in a European Championships though and on top of that I have had some great days at Wembley in finals.
“But sentimentally, I'd say playing in that semi-final, especially for a country that had never qualified for the European Championships. It was pretty special.
While out in Qatar, Williams managed to meet several current and former football stars, making the World Cup experience all the more enjoyable despite Wales’ performances.
“I swapped shirts with Conor Gallagher after the England game because I played with him at Charlton and managed to speak to him before the game,” he said.
“I also got a picture with Joe Cole as I was a big fan of him as a kid, as a footballer I thought he was brilliant and a midfield player who had the ability to beat people and play with flair.”
When asked about who the best and toughest opponent he had faced in his career, Williams namedropped some of the world’s very best current and former players.
“It’s hard to say but the day in the actual game its probably out of Arjen Robben, Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Cristiano Ronaldo as they were all unbelievable,” he revealed.
“Also David Silva as I love him and I think he was exceptional on that day and was an unbelievable player.”
Following his Qatar exploit, Williams will next be in action against Barrow in Town’s away League Two clash on Saturday, with the Holker Street game set to kick off at 3pm.
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