Danny Williams, 28, has signed a two’s year contract with Town, arriving on a free transfer from Reading. The combative midfielder will give David Wagner options in the middle of the park.
While unproven in the Premier League he arrived after a good spell for Reading in the Championship. In fact , thought he was the best player on the pitch in the Playoff final and he did an excellent job of minimising Mooy’s time on the ball and unsettled our game.
What kind of a player is Danny Williams? Who has he played for? Is he any good? Read on to find out…
How does Danny Williams play?
Danny Williams is a defensive midfielder that likes to break up play and turn defence into attack. He’s very busy in the middle of the park, putting in tackles and mopping up loose balls. He’s also capable of controlling the ball in tight spaces and finding a teammate when he’s under pressure.
Williams isn’t someone you can expect a lot of goals from but he’s scored a few belters in his career, as you can see from his YouTube highlights reel (always a bit misleading, but fun to watch). His tenacity and energy mean he occasionally bursts upfield and gets into good attacking positions.
History
He started his career in Germany, playing for FC Freiburg’s second team for a few seasons before making the transition to the first team. He then moved to Hoffenheim and played for them in the Bundesliga for a couple of seasons.
In the summer of 2013 he moved from Hoffenheim to Reading for a fee believed to be around £1.75m. He spent four years at Reading, playing 135 games for the Royals, including the playoff final which Reading lost to Huddersfield Town.
Reading fans opinion of Williams
I have a lot of time for Reading fans after the way they conducted themselves at the playoff final. It’s hard to make a sweeping assessment about so many people, but the fans I encountered seemed very nice and the probably deserve better luck than they’ve had in the playoffs over the years.
The Reading fans seem to have responded to losing Williams in the affable fashion they accepted defeat in the playoffs. They mostly seem sad to see him go but also pleased that he’s getting a chance to play at a higher level.
Hobnob Anyway? forum user Hound sums up the mood when he said: It’s inevitable he will leave, so no real hard feelings. Although a minority of Reading fans were not too fussed about him leaving, such as the aptly named WAZZOCK, who thinks his good form towards the end of the season was purely to get a better contract. Also known as the “Simon Baldry effect”.
Danny Williams stats
Defensive midfielders are harder to measure with stats. Goals and assists are easy to count up for attack minded players, but more destructive forces aren’t as easy to assess with the basic stats available online.
He’s scored 20 goals and laid on 9 assists in his 335 career appearances, so he’s not likely to be at the top end of the pitch finishing off chances or setting up goals all that often. His pass completion percentage for last season was 86.3%, which is pretty good going for a defensive midfielder.
His disciplinary record for last year wasn’t great, with 10 yellow cards and one red card. Jonathan Hogg is the closest in style to Williams in the Town team and he also received 10 yellow cards last year. Perhaps getting the odd booking is part and parcel of playing in the engine room.
How will he fit in at Town?
It seems very likely that Williams will be a natural fit at Town. His German roots and existing friendships within the squad mean he’s better prepared than most for life in Huddersfield. His playing style involves high-energy pressing already, so I’d expect him to slot right into the defensive midfield position.
Whether he’ll be a regular starter will depend on how he compares with Jonathan Hogg, Huddersfield’s first choice defensive midfielder last season. It’ s hard to know which is the better player, but I expect David Wagner will have to make this decision before the start of the season.
Terrier Spirit opinion
Danny Williams is a great signing for Town. Like all of our signings so far, he’s not proven in the Premier League but has all the attributes he needs to succeed.
While I’m optimistic Town will survive in the Premier League, he’s also a great player to have in the team if we get relegated and are hoping to bounce straight back up.
His fight and desire should fit perfectly with our style of play. He’s already friends with a few members of our team and his interview shows he understands the work ethic required to play for Town.
Of all the signings made so far this season I think Williams makes the most sense. Like Town, he wants to prove himself in the top club competition in the world. If his ability doesn’t live up to his aspiration he’s only cost us his wages and he’ll be useful to have around if we don’t stay up.