‘Dear Neco, we will always be proud of you. So just enjoy every second of it because you are living your dream, love Mum and Dad x’
Matthew Cannon 
Wales kick off their Euro 2020 campaign this afternoon against Switzerland, hoping to follow up that glorious summer of 2016 when they reached the semi-finals in France.
Liverpool’s 20-year-old right-back Neco Williams is expected to feature for Robert Page’s side in what will be his first international tournament.
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Before Wales’ opener, we sat down and chatted to the Anfield youngster’s parents, who penned a letter to their son, the pride of Cefn Mawr.
Dear Neco,
Well, what can we say except we, your mum and dad, are feeling ever so proud of you? So is your big sister Taya, your little brother Keelan and your two younger sisters Sarae and Ocea. The whole family is buzzing, as is absolutely everyone here in Cefn Mawr, your home village in north Wales. Everyone who knows you is bursting with pride.
As your parents, we have to pinch ourselves knowing you are part of the Wales team playing at the European Championship. It really is surreal seeing you living your dream as a professional footballer. Your face is everywhere and when we see you on the TV, in the newspaper or online, we just think, “Oh gosh, that’s our little boy.”
It has all happened so quickly from when you were a toddler with a ball glued to your feet to now playing for Wales. That doesn’t mean you will get any special treatment when you get back home after the Euros, though. You know the score. We will treat you the same as any normal Cefn boy.
You were our second-born child and arrived on April 13, 2001. You were such a good baby. We never had any problems with you — you were such a laidback little boy. We would feed you, change you and off you would go back to sleep without a murmur. You have always been chilled out, right through your childhood into your teens and now as a 20-year-old man.
The one thing you loved to do as soon as you learned to walk was to play football. You had goalposts in the back garden and would mark targets on the wall with chalk to practice. You would be out there shooting for hours, until you got old enough to play on the field in front of the house. Remember the two trees that you and all of your friends used for goalposts? You would always be the first one on the field and the last one out there. We would have to call you in when it was getting dark but you couldn’t wait to get back outside the very next day. You used to take your own football into school and then race home to play footy with your mates.
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Then when you got a little bit older and were allowed under the lights on the astroturf, you would play in there. The caretaker always used to have to chuck you out when he was locking up — you were always the last one in there as well.
You were football mad from the off. Dad likes to think you get it from him but as I always tell Dad he had all the pace but that was about it! It was me, Mum, who played at right-back for three years in a local women’s team. But I do think it is my dad, your grandad Kelvin, who you get your skills from.
Everyone always talks about what an amazing footballer your grandad was and how he could have made it to the top if it wasn’t for breaking his ankle twice. He is so proud of you for living a dream that was taken from him.
Do you remember he used to always tell you and Keelan to make sure you were both practising on your left foot as well as your right? He always encouraged you and would help out by taking you to training sessions and games if Dad was working. Your dad — whose family are from Porthmadog and are as proud of you as us — hardly missed a session or a game, did he?
That’s right. I would finish work and your mum would watch your siblings and run the dance company as I drove you to Liverpool. It is around an hour’s drive so I would hang around, watch you train and then bring you back. Taking Keelan to the academy too meant I was there about seven days a week. No wonder Mum would laugh saying I came back sounding like a Scouser! I spent a lot of time in Kirkby and every minute was worth it to see you wearing the Red of Liverpool and now Wales.
From when you started playing for Cefn United at the age of six, Mum and I have always been your biggest fans. You were a striker then. The No 9 who could score 10 goals a game — and would! It was no wonder that you got spotted at that tournament in Gresford near Wrexham. That’s how all this began.
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Liverpool, Manchester United and Everton were queuing up to sign you. I took you to train with Liverpool and United to see which team and which club you preferred. It was Liverpool where you felt you fitted in best. You just loved it there. You were just a kid but we let you make the decision of which pre-academy you wanted to join and you chose Liverpool. What do you think, Neco? It turned out to be one of the greatest decisions you have ever and will ever make.
I have so many happy memories from that time. We all do. I remember flying to Tokyo to watch you play in a tournament for Liverpool when you were around 11. You know I hate flying but you wanted me to be there so, 14 nervous hours of flying later, there I was in Japan with your grandad Kel and my brother Wynnie. I have travelled all over to watch and support you. Switzerland, Sweden, Spain. No matter where you were playing, we would try our best to be there. This past year has made that difficult but we are never going to stop wanting to watch you play.
That’s why it was so hard on us when you had to move into digs at Liverpool. You were only 15 and Mum found it tough letting you go.
I knew as a mother I had to let you go for his development but it felt like you were in a great place with your football. You were feeling really confident on the pitch and with you being such a quiet lad, I didn’t want that to be disrupted by moving away from us. We are such a close family. So I told Phil Roscoe at the academy exactly that. He told me, “Emma, come on, you are the last parent. Everyone else has let their son move away.” But I knew moving so suddenly wouldn’t be good for you. That’s exactly what I told Alex Inglethorpe, Tom Culshaw and Steven Gerrard in a meeting at the academy. They were very happy with your development and potential but needed you to be there full-time. Being a father himself, Gerrard said he knew exactly where I was coming from.
We all decided to move you to Kirkby gradually and after around nine months they had you there full-time. You had to move schools too, which I know was difficult for you leaving your mates behind, especially Kai and Keenan, who you have been your closest friends since nursery. You have had to make a lot of sacrifices but they have all been worth it to get to where you are right now — about to represent Wales in a major tournament.
It hasn’t always been easy though.
Remember when Gerrard returned to Liverpool as the under-18s manager? You were so excited to be coached by him. But then, it was during pre-season, you felt a pain in your back. A stress fracture showed up on a scan and you had to stop playing for six whole months. That was devastating news. You had kicked a ball from when you could first stand so to be sidelined for that long — we all knew it was going to be really hard on you.
It was. But we helped to keep you focused and you were determined to come back stronger. And you did. You have always shown resilience and you weren’t about to let your dream get derailed. No way. You worked even harder when you returned. And at the end of January 2018, you got to play at Anfield for the very first time against Arsenal in the FA Youth Cup. That was special, watching you play there in front of the fans. It was just a shame about the result.
The next year, we watched you go all the way in the FA Youth Cup. The final went to penalties against Manchester City. You stepped up first and Mum couldn’t look — she can never watch you take a penalty as she gets too nervous. You scored it and Liverpool went on to win. It was magic watching you celebrate with team-mates you had grown up with.
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So just imagine how we felt when we watched you make your first-team debut against Arsenal in October 2019. Watching you that night, this time against Arsenal’s first-team, gave us goosebumps. Anfield was full and Liverpool were about to go out of the cup until you assisted Divock Origi who scored to take the game to 5-5 and into extra time. All the players ran over to you like it was you who had scored!
Then in December, you won the Club World Cup. Our boy from Cefn was a champion of the world. And where was the first place you went when you got home? That’s right, you went straight down to the Legion, to see all of your mates. Then you stopped off at Nan and Grandad’s house before finally coming home to us. You have never lost touch with your roots or your community. That is one thing we love about you, Neco. You love coming back to Cefn and will do so as often as possible.
You are always giving away your match-worn shirts for charity and will sign anything for anyone. We have bags full of Liverpool and Wales shirts for you to sign for people, and you never complain. You love giving back and when you are home you always go back out onto the field in front of the house and have a kickabout with the local kids. They all look up to you so much. You are an inspiration to everyone around here. We hope you know that.
That’s why whenever you play, a big gang of us turn up to watch. Can you remember the FA Cup games against Everton and Shrewsbury at Anfield? Loads of us were there to watch you, and you did not disappoint us. You never do. You were a part of the derby-winning team and then it was your cross that forced the own goal against Shrewsbury, which turned out to be the winner. To us, it felt like you had scored.
You have made 25 appearances for Liverpool now but we can still remember the first time you were called up to train with the first team. It was on your 18th birthday, remember?
You got a phone call to say you had to be at Melwood early in the morning as Jurgen Klopp wanted to take a closer look at you. All of your mates were round and we had a minibus booked to take you into Wrexham for the night. You had to wave your friends off and up you went to bed. You have always been so committed. That’s why watching you walk up those steps on the Kop to pick up your Premier League winners’ medal last August was incredible.
You had only made your league debut a couple of months before, in June after the restart, and we counted down every appearance so you could get a medal. “Two more, one more. Come on Klopp, put him on.” Your sisters and brother were there to watch you and celebrate with you that night. You continue to inspire us and them every single day.
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The next season, the one that’s just finished, you didn’t get as many appearances as we thought you might but you never let that hold you back. You kept on working hard and training every single day to get better. When you made your Champions League debut, that was another hugely overwhelming moment for us. To see you assist Curtis Jones — your team-mate from the age of six — for the winning goal against Ajax. Wow. That was beyond special. Seeing the picture of you both celebrating was magic. It doesn’t feel long ago you were playing at the academy together every week.
There have been tough times, too. You have suffered abuse on social media and as your parents, to watch you go through that was heartbreaking. As parents, you never stop wanting to protect your child and it was difficult knowing we couldn’t stop it. It hurt you to read those messages. All we could do is give you our support, and that’s what we did. Your team-mates were there for you, too. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Adam Lallana were all great with you at when it first happened. Klopp told you not to worry about it. He said everyone has experienced it and that they were all there to support you. We know that meant a lot to you.
Everyone at Wales supported you as well. You have been playing for your country since you were 11. We remember watching you play for the under-19s in Cardiff. You scored twice and we were convinced a call-up to the under-21s would be next. When that squad was announced and your name wasn’t on the list, we felt confused. People would say, “What if he just skips the under-21s and goes straight to the first team?” And that is exactly what you did!
Remember your senior call-up? Your agent phoned you to say make sure to keep your phone on as you were going to receive a very important call. When a call eventually popped up on your screen it was an unknown number and you didn’t answer. Your agent called you back and asked if you had spoken to Ryan Giggs yet. You were so excited for the second call but had to wait a couple of days for it. We kept on calling you and calling you to ask if you had spoken to the manager yet. We were so excited and then when you called us with the news we were just over the moon. Everything was going right for you.
You made your debut against Finland in September. That was one of the proudest days for us as a family. Then just imagine how we felt to watch you score the winner against Bulgaria after coming off the bench. It was tremendous. Dad was watching the game in the other room, as you know he likes to concentrate. The rest of us were sitting together. We heard Dad screaming and shouting. He was going mad and as there was a five-second delay on our TV we all thought, ‘Well, someone must have scored.’
To see that it was you and to watch you running to the corner flag to celebrate with Gareth Bale with you every step of the way — that was just another incredible moment. We all went crazy. We were screaming, singing and, of course, dancing. We ran out into the garden to celebrate and the neighbours asked us what was going on. We proudly shouted, “Our Neco has just scored for Wales!”
We just wish we could have been there, Neco. To see you score your first Wales goal — the winning goal! I mean, it wasn’t long ago we were getting professional photographs taken of you in your first Wales kit and to think now you are wearing the Wales shirt, representing our country on the international stage — we cannot begin to explain how happy we are.
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We haven’t seen you play for Wales in the flesh yet but we saw you in every Wales kit growing up and through the age groups. We know what it means to you to wear the crest.
On Saturday, we are all going down to the Legion and we will be wearing Wales tops with your name and number on the back. To think, in 2016, when Wales got to the semi-finals at the Euros, you were just 15 and watching it here with us. Now you are going to be there and be a part of it.
If you start or play, it is going to be electric in the Legion. The whole village will be there. Your dad is going to be watching from home, as he wants to focus. He is already looking forward to your video call after the match. Whether you play or not, it is something you and him have always done after every game. He will tell you what you did right and what you could have done better.
But whatever happens on Saturday, we want you to know we are just so grateful you are part of that squad and on this journey as a professional footballer.
If you do play, we want you to go out there and just be yourself. Do what you always do and that is to try your best. You know that is all we ever expect from you. We will always be proud of you and of your sisters and brother. No matter what.
So just enjoy every second of it, Neco, because you are living your dream and we could not be happier.
Love,
Mum and Dad x
(Top photo: Getty Images/Sam Richardson)
