Skip to content

Ashley Williams out to learn from Ronald Koeman at Everton

Ashley Williams of Everton applauds the fans at the final whistle
Image: Everton defender Ashley Williams is looking forward to working with Ronald Koeman at Goodison Park

Ashley Williams believes Ronald Koeman is one of the finest centre-halves to have ever played and hopes the Everton manager can help him bring his game to the next level.

Live International Football: FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifiers

Wales captain Williams joined the Toffees last month in a £12m deal and started his first Premier League game on Saturday in the 1-0 victory over Stoke City.

Koeman handpicked the 32-year-old to replace John Stones, who joined Manchester City in a £50m deal, and Williams is keen to learn all he can from the former Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Barcelona defender.

Ronald Koeman celebrates after scoring for Barcelona in the 1992 European Cup Final against Sampdoria
Image: Ronald Koeman celebrates after scoring for Barcelona in the 1992 European Cup Final against Sampdoria

"I am enjoying playing underneath him. As I said when I moved here he is one of the best centre-halves who ever played," Williams said.

"I am going to be a sponge to learn off him and try and take in as much as I can of his knowledge.

"When you go to a new place and you are the new boy you have to try to impress everyone and get your head down and start from scratch."

Live Monday Night Football

Williams' next game for Everton is a trip to the Stadium of Light to take on Sunderland on September 12, on Monday Night Football live on Sky Sports 1 HD.

Also See:

But first he will lead Wales in their first World Cup qualifier against Moldova in Cardiff on Monday and Williams says Chris Coleman's men must now put their success at Euro 2016 behind them.

"It's important we don't keep going on about it but use the experience from there (Euro 2016) to move into the next campaign, knowing what's required to qualify," the defender said. "I'd use the same word as the manager in being 'desperate'.

Three months' half-price Sky Sports
Three months' half-price Sky Sports

Watch live Premier League football, the Ryder Cup and F1

"Having tasted it, we would love to get back there," he added. "We want that elation that we had this summer. We want that again in our careers."

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Wales manager Chris Coleman admits he's a little concerned about the lack of game time for some of his players ahead of their opening World Cup Qualifying

Williams believes that Wales' performances in France will serve them well as they look to qualify for Russia 2018.

"We have had a couple of videos in meetings. The first one we got together and had a video about the Euros just to relive a couple of those memories and relive what it was like," Williams said.

"It was important to acknowledge what we did and it was also important to put that to bed a little bit. Use the experience of it and move on."

Wales and Moldova are joined by Austria, Serbia, Ireland and Georgia in Group D of Europe's World Cup qualifying section, with only the group winners guaranteed a spot in the tournament finals.

Watch Kid Galahad on the undercard of Golovkin v Brook, live on Sky Sports Box Office from The O2, September 10. Book the event via your Sky remote or online here.

Around Sky