Spain forward Nico Williams has confessed that he grew up idolizing Ghanaian legend Asamoah Gyan, citing the former Black Stars captain as one of his inspirations in football.
The 22-year-old, who has Ghanaian heritage through his parents, revealed his admiration for Gyan during an interview with 3 Sports during a visit to Ghana.
As one of Spain’s standout players at the recently-concluded European Championship, Williams Jr. scored and won the Man of the Match award in the final against England.
The Athletic Bilbao forward, younger brother of Ghana striker Inaki Williams, has been making waves in the football world with his impressive performances.
When asked about his childhood hero, Williams Jr. reminisced about watching Gyan play when he was just six years old. “I liked Asamoah Gyan when I was young or little. He is our best striker. He scored a lot of goals. I loved Asamoah Gyan,” he said.
Gyan remains Ghana’s all-time top scorer with 51 goals in 109 matches and holds the record for the most goals scored by an African player at the World Cup. He retired from football last year at the age of 38.
With his own promising career taking off, Williams Jr. is following in the footsteps of his idol, having helped Spain win their fourth European Championship title.
