COMMENT: Can David Williams cut it at Crystal Palace?
Talented Australian striker David Williams has reportedly been offered a trial with English Championship club Crystal Palace.
The 23-year old Brisbane-born forward has always had fairly big wraps placed on him but has failed to live up to lofty expectations which came after a prolific junior career which saw him dominate for the Australian U17 and U20 youth teams in the mid-2000s.
As a teenager, Williams left A-League club Brisbane Roar (then the Queensland Roar) for a European adventure, joining Danish club Brondby IF.
He landed there in May 2006 and made just under 40 first team appearances before returning to Australian for the start of the 2009/10 A-League season, signing with new club North Queensland Fury.
In Australia’s domestic league over two seasons, the speedy Williams scored eight goals in just over 40 matches but was in a Fury side which were conceding goals and getting beaten heavily every second week.
Some of his finishes for the Townsville club were sublime and his creativity and pace were often too good for opposition defenders.
You could say that he is a similar player to former Palace starlet Victor Moses who is now with Premier League club Wigan Athletic, however, the England U21 international is a lot silkier than the Aussie. Where Williams can out-run his opponents and find teammates with pinpoint passes, Moses does it with a bit more finesse and obviously at a much higher level.
Just prior to the Fury folding, Williams joined Sydney FC for the Asian Champions League campaign in which he has started both games so far as the Sky Blues have manufactured two draws.
This could be one of the reasons why the Eagles have reportedly invited him to South London’s Selhurst Park for a trial as new assistant Tony Popovic was a key figure on the Sydney coaching staff.
It remains to be seen if Williams will actually make the trip to the UK to link up with Dougie Freedman’s Palace, and if he does, he may benefit from being in a more competitive environment which could bring out his best after maturing as a player back in his homeland over the past few years.
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Comments (1)
that is so strange! williams and Moses were always a strike pair that use to use in fifa games. haha that aside, i think thatWilliams may be able to cut it, but he is an awful crosser of the ball. i like his thinking and touch in and around the box, but out wide he lacks the technique to play well out there, and deliver "pin-point crosses". However, working with players such as Robbie Fowler, Lavictka, Corica, Ian Fergusen, Terry Cooke and many more, aswell as a solid stint at Brondby FC (a good Danish club), i think he has the right combination of potential and experience to be a good player, and the more we have in England the better.
Good luck David! Just promise us that we won't see you in the A-League again until you're 30 odd... we need players like you overseas!
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