Iñaki Williams: “In difficult moments, this group grows stronger”

Athletic Club forward Iñaki Williams is pleased his first goal of the season helped Athletic to an important victory over Levante last Sunday and believes the side are more than capable of beating Basque rivals Osasuna this coming Saturday.

Williams grabbed the second goal of the game as Athletic beat Levante 2-0 at San Mamés in their LaLiga Matchday 6 fixture. The Lions face Osasuna at El Sadar this Saturday and will be looking for another three points to help them shoot up the table.

“I’m happy that my goal could help the team,” Williams said at his press conference in Lezama. “After various defeats, it was special to win again at San Mamés. We knew we were going to move forward because in difficult moments, this group grows stronger. That’s what Athletic is all about, I think on Sunday you’ll see that we’re all moving in the same direction.”

The Basque derby match against Osasuna is significant for Williams as he spent part of his childhood in Pamplona and the striker admitted that, on a personal level, returning to El Sadar is always a big occasion for him.

“El Sadar is special. I watched many matches there as a kid. I’m excited to be able to play there,” Williams said. “It’s important that we get three points and give the fans another win to celebrate. It will be a tough match. But if we play like we did last Sunday, we can win.”

The striker is full of confidence after getting off the mark for the season and feels he is ready to score more in what could be a historic campaign for the Lions.

“I’m sure I’ll end up scoring more goals this season than I have done in previous ones,” Williams added. “It’s an exciting year for everybody. We have the opportunity to win two trophies and we must stick together. 

“For me personally, I need to keep training, keep bringing something to the team and help by getting goals. This is what I’m working on.”