Forgotten Man Utd man set for move away from Championship club as struggles continue following 14-month prison sentence

The struggles of the Carrington Academy graduate have been well-documented, particularly since he became embroiled in a serious road incident. In August 2023, Williams was seen driving his Audi A3 at dangerously high speeds along the A34 near Handforth in Cheshire, before losing control and crashing into the central reservation after a collision with a Ford Fiesta. He later admitted guilt to reckless and uninsured driving. The consequences were significant. In May, he received a 14-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, alongside a three-year driving ban and mandatory community service. The legal troubles arrived atop an already challenging period in his football career, which triggered a spiral from which he has struggled to emerge. 

Williams has managed just five minutes of senior football since signing for the Tigers, when he was introduced briefly as a substitute during the club’s third Championship match of the season. What followed has been a stretch of prolonged exclusion. He made four appearances as an unused substitute, and in 11 matchdays, his name did not even feature in the squad list. For a player desperate to restart a career once brimming with promise, the stagnation has been a sad sight.

Despite the optimism surrounding his arrival, Jakirovic’s recent comments suggest Williams’ long-term prospects at the club are uncertain. Speaking to BBC Radio Humberside, the Hull head coach confirmed that the left-back had felt discomfort in his calf and would undergo an MRI scan. He also revealed that the club had mapped out a six-week programme to help him build up match rhythm through Under-21 fixtures.

He said: "He felt yesterday his calf a little bit so he will go on MRI. We are waiting [for] news and also we made one plan for him, six weeks plan, that he has a rhythm of games. He played for the Under-21s and then together with the club now we will decide what we will do with him in January. [Whether] he will stay with us [or] he will fight for his place, so he will continue forward maybe, to change clubs, but we will see.

"This is also a question for all clubs. Right now, in those [academy] games he showed something but I don’t know if it’s enough for the Championship. This is something what maybe I need to decide we will do with him. Whether he will stay or he will change."

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Williams’ early years at Manchester United suggested a very different trajectory. He broke through as a dynamic 19-year-old under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, making 51 appearances across two seasons, 50 of those during Solskjaer’s tenure. Representing England at the Under-20 and Under-21 levels, he was widely regarded as one of United’s brightest homegrown prospects. But the momentum faded quickly. A loan move to Norwich City in the 2021/22 season gave him regular playing time, but that did not help him grab the spotlight. He was again sent to Ipswich Town for the 2023/24 campaign, but he failed to reach 1,000 minutes before his stint at Portman Road ended early. When United declined to renew his contract in 2024, Williams found himself without a club for an entire year.

For a player who once looked destined for a long and successful Premier League career, Williams’ decline has been both swift and sobering. Meanwhile, Hull are currently ninth in the Championship with 28 points from 18 matches. They will continue their push for a play-off spot when they meet Middlesbrough on Friday evening.