Source: The Athletic
By Laurie Whitwell
We'll talk about his mother's café, his cousin as a professional boxer, and the Meben he bought for his father, but first, let's go back to where Brandon Williams started.
As Williams talks about how he grew up in The Manchester City suburb of Harperley, you can see why his promotion to the first team under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has won so many United fans.
"The Red Devils are too appealing here." Williams said of Harperley, a smile naturally appeared on his face, "That's it, if there is a Manchester City fan, people will not talk to him. In the area where I grew up, people didn't want to see Manchester City fans. So my mentality has always been the same, when I grew to the height of an adult's knee, I started to take the season ticket to the live to watch the game. ”
Williams completed a rare journey in his life, from the Old Trafford stand to the pitch, and his style of play also clearly showed his feelings for Manchester United – unreservedly and frankly. He has forged a strong connection with the live fans of which he was once a member, and in the 2019-20 season, Williams made 36 appearances for The United first team. But last season, Williams' appearances plummeted to 14 and he knew he had to leave for a while to move on to the next stage of his career. He ran 200 miles to join promoted Manovic on loan throughout the season.
"I've talked to some people about it and concluded that it was my best bet." "It's really far from my house, but there are two sides to it," he said. Everything I knew before came from the city of Man and my family. But it's not bad to not have to be distracted from focusing on football. ”
Norwich told Williams that even if he was from the Red Devils, he would not be promised his main position, but he took on the challenge anyway. Southampton also came close to signing Williams at one point, but was eventually scared off by a $2 million loan fee. But Norwich were able to negotiate the cost because sporting director Stuart Webber managed to strike a deal with Williams' agents Rob Segal and Matt Judge.
"I'm getting to the point where I have to get a steady playing time, and I can't just sit on the bench and walk around for years." The 21-year-old said, "I know it's good to train with a number of top stars at Manchester United, but you have to learn and gain experience in real combat, so I have to leave and play. I just needed to focus on my career development, but the manager agreed to my departure. ”
"The original plan was for me to go out and do some training, but I would stay and prepare for the pre-season. At that time, many teammates who had played in the European Championship could not return to the team, so the first team lineup was not in order. Norwich is a good choice. Whichever club I choose, it's a challenge to win a steady playing time. I think it's also a good thing for this club, the whole team will face challenges in all positions. ”
Williams didn't start out as a regular candidate for manager Falke, but against Brentford in November, he reminded people that his stunning debut at Manchester United was no luck. On one offense, he rushed to the front to participate in the attack and sent a cross to Puki to create a scoring opportunity. Norwich finally scored their first league win of the season that day, but Fark was left unsophisticated hours later. In fact, the club's top brass had already made a decision to change the coach before the start of the match.
"This change is really crazy." Williams said, "I've never experienced anything like this. It's really uncomfortable to see a manager who trusts you so much leave. ”
Dean Smith, who just left school a week ago, became Norwich's new manager, and Williams continued to play well, making appearances in the wins over the Saints and drawing with Wolves and Newcastle, where points were finally given to the canary, who were struggling with relegation, a relegation-hardened canary. In the defeat to Tottenham, Norwich still performed well, and Williams once again became one of the more prominent members of the squad, creating opportunities for Puki with a more aggressive forward insert. In Saturday's game against Manchester United, Williams missed out because of the evasion of the mother team.
At Carrow Road, Williams could only sit in the stands and watch his teammates play, and after the game, under the leadership of assistant coach Shakespeare, he had a mini training session with several teammates. Williams excelled in the five-man group confrontation, winning encouragement from Shakespeare.
Sitting in the conference room of Norwich's modified training base, Williams, far from the spotlight, has fully adapted to life in Norfolk.
'It's not easy to leave Manchester City, I've never played for another club before. "Now I've finally found my comfort zone, I know everyone here," he said. I've made very good friends. I loved the peaceful atmosphere, going home after training, watching a movie and then going to bed with the lights off. ”
Williams' style of play meant that off-court breaks were necessary. He will sprint quite hard, and he will fight harder when he makes a steal, and it is only natural that such a player will win the hearts of the fans.
For example, in the warm-up match a few years ago, Williams received a red card. He wasn't alone, and senior Rooney was also sent off in a friendly against Ajax, which highlighted his sense of competition.
Against Arklington, Williams got into a verbal altercation with opposing captain Sean McConnville, who was 11 years older than himself.
"He tugged on my jersey so I yelled at him, 'Spread it!' He tried to grab me and push the bull with me, so I leaned back, and we both pushed and shoved. When he left the field, he said to me, 'Don't go for a while, I'll wait for you.' I replied to him: 'Very good, come on. ’”
"My friends were there, and Nicky Bart calmed me down. I was saying, 'What did he say?' Where did the call come from? Who is he? I was very angry. After that I went back to the dressing room and sat down. ”
Williams laughed as he spoke, and he knew it was interesting to hear. But at the same time, he will not back down in the face of his opponent's provocations. This kind of personality also extended to other areas. In September, during Norwich's match against Arsenal, he flew to block a must-score and then jumped up excitedly to celebrate. The team lost to Tottenham Nine days ago and his irritation was palpable.
"I hate losing." He said, "I'm the one who can't afford to lose, and I've always been like this, as a kid." I also have two sisters, and we'll play games with Grandma, and even if I don't win, I won't lose. 'You cheated, I won.' If I lose, none of my friends want to talk to me. ”
Williams' accent will be nakedly revealing his origins, and you can hear the exact same accent every day in his mother Lisa's café.
Even though Williams has become a Premier League player, Lisa is still busy in the café every week.
"You can't drag her out of that shop." Williams laughed and said, "She can move, but she can be lonely and bored. She loves the living environment now, and everyone around her knows. My mom didn't even have to lock the door at night, so she didn't have to worry about someone passing by. The whole community is a large, close-knit collective. ”
When Williams is doing well, neighbors bring Lisa coverage from various media outlets.
"She enjoys that attention." I'm Brandon's mom! Many elderly people will go for a cup of tea and sit down and talk all day. In their opinion, it was crazy to see me in the newspaper, so they cut out the report and showed it to my mother. My mom took out the tape and put all the newspaper clippings on the fridge. She did post a lot of newspaper clippings, but I don't think Mason made fewer appearances than I did. Because I celebrated with Mason when I made my debut. ”
His Mason was naturally Greenwood.
The two were already good friends, and williams made their first-team debut against Rochdale in September 2019, while Greenwood scored a goal. However, Williams has an advantage over Manchester United's youth alumni.
"He has always been the most outstanding genius in the echelon. You can easily see that he will succeed. But my first Premier League goal took five minutes less than his. He can take all kinds of records, but I won the first goal in the Premier League. I always stress this to him. ”
In October of that year, at Bramo Lane, Williams scored a wonderful volley, but United were still behind, so he didn't celebrate. United drew 3-3 with Sheffield United. "It wasn't until the next day that I realised I had scored a Premier League goal for Manchester United. What do you say about that feeling? Wow! ”
At the end of that season, Williams won his first major contract of his career, and he was able to deliver on his long-term commitment.
Last May, a sweet video went viral on social media where Williams gave his father Paul a new Mercedes. In the video, you can see that Paul can't suppress his excitement, Paul once cleaned the windows of a skyscraper and suffered a work injury.
"My dad was the one who did the most to take me to training because my mom had to do her job." Williams explains, "He had to be busy from six o'clock in the morning until five o'clock in the afternoon, then come home, pick me up and take me to six to eight o'clock training, go home again and take a short break to sleep, and repeat this hard process all week." ”
"So I thought about his car, and I think he must have liked my gift, it would have made a special difference." I knew what gift he wanted. He would always talk about it, 'Sitting in this car and having a lot of face.' I'm grateful that I can make my family more comfortable. I love my hometown and I will always love it. ”
The Williams family once had a Renault. "Picking me up and dropping me off for training day after day, it's inevitable that something will go wrong." Williams laughed and said, "That car has broken down several times." ”
Williams will look forward to not running into traffic problems on Saturdays.
He plans to return to Manchester City after a three-point match against West Ham to watch his cousin Zelfa Barrett fight. "It's a crucial battle for the gold belt." Barrett beat Bruno Tarimo from Australia to play against sub-lightweight champion Kiko Martinez, who barrett has beaten before.
Williams is also related to another boxer, Lyndon Arthur, who lost his title earlier this month. Williams regrets the result. "Living well and learning from experience can make you a better person."
Williams would occasionally try to play boxing with tickets. "My level is not lost to them." Williams said, "Well, just kidding. I took some training sessions in pre-season, and it wasn't easy, and to do tough running training, you had to adjust your physical condition for the whole season. It's also good for me to be able to train with people. ”
"Two seasons ago, Zelfa was preparing for a boxing match and I was only 2 minutes away from him at my man city residence, so we would play together and come back for night runs, 7 days a week. He played for Stoke as a striker and did well. Lyndon can't play football. ”
"When we were both kids, Zelfa would play with himself. He's almost 10 years older than me, so he had no interest in playing with toy cars on the carpet with me when he was 20. But as I grew older and left school, we started to get closer and would play together. ”
Williams believes that not being the focus of outside attention has helped her own growth. Every year at Carrington, Williams wasn't the kid who got the most attention, but his attitude won the unanimous approval of his coaches.
"In the eyes of others, if a young player kicks the ball into the top corner of the goal, it will immediately blow up social media and you will feel like the next superstar." "But you might go to the lower leagues and feel like you don't belong here at all," he said. Maybe that's your level, and you should use this as a starting point to work hard. I'm sure not being the most talked about player has helped me. It's not that the pressures are different, it's that I always know what I have to do and what I can do. ”
At the start of the 2019-20 season, United had planned to loan Williams to League Two. "In the end, that plan didn't work out." He said, "I told them I wanted to stay and try to rush into the first team. A few months later I made my debut. ”
Solskjaer gave Williams a chance and at one point placed his appearances above Luke Shaw. Solskjaer bid farewell to The Manchester United manager last month and Williams got in touch with him. "I sent him a message because he always has a special place in my heart. I sent him my blessings, and wherever he went next, I wished him great success. ”
Williams' second season after being promoted to the first team was not as successful as the first, and he himself knew: "We played in an empty stadium. I need the energy of the fans. I'm not saying that's the most critical factor, but last season when we were empty, I didn't play the same way I used to. Some players may be intimidated by the fans and the pressure, but I need that atmosphere. I'm glad the fans are back and hopefully they'll stay forever. ”
As the 2021-22 season approaches the halfway point, Williams feels his form is getting better. "My sense of position is improving and I'm more confident when I get the ball. I know I can make a difference, but sometimes I don't try because I lack confidence. But now I'm starting to try to advance with the ball. ”
Despite being a right-footer, Williams hopes to show his strength on the right. From the time he played for Manchester United's U16 team, Williams gradually moved to the left. "McKenna was the manager and there was a game where we didn't have full-time left-backs and I played all the backs since U14. He put me in that position, and then I settled down. I can play on both sides and even make a cameo appearance as a centre-back. I always joke with my friends, and when I'm 33 or 35 and I can't run on two legs, I play at center-back instead. I'm still very young. ”
So Williams is really more inclined to play on the left? "I'm always asked this question, it's frustrating! Even the new teammates here. Yesterday someone asked me, I have been here for four months, why do I still ask now! It was Barry Momba, we were training on crosses together and he suddenly asked me, 'So you prefer to play at left-back?' ''Yes! ’”
Williams explains: "There's a big difference. I feel comfortable playing on the left, and if I'm on the right, I feel limited. Yes, my crosses may not be as good as those of the left-footed players if I play on the left, but I can also do what they can't. I like to cut inside and work with my teammates to hit the wall. And my left foot is not bad and works. ”
As for what will happen next summer, there is no need to rush to explore the answer. Williams is thriving in Norwich.
"The coach wants me to be myself. He has been carefully observing me in recent weeks, knowing how well I am performing on the training ground, what kind of energy I have, and he wants me to bring my energy to the team. I think the ability of this team is OK. I never thought about how to do it later, focusing on the present first. I need to do my job well and help Norwich stay in the Premier League. ”