Happy 34th birthday to Mike Williams – a player whose career was revitalised when he joined the Welsh Premier League five years ago.
Williams, from Old Colwyn, had retired from the game with a hip problem before making a comeback with newly-promoted Llandudno at the start of 2015-16.
He was an instant success for a Tudno outfit which finished third in their top-flight debut season and qualified for Europe at the first attempt.
Mike went on to represent the club in the Europa League against IFK Goteborg.of Sweden.
The centre-half left Maesdu Park in summer 2018 to join Flint Town United and moved on to Bangor City in the 2019 January window.
He signed for Colwyn Bay in May 2019.
Mike, who is the older brother of Aberystwyth Town’s Marc Williams, began his career as a trainee at Wrexham and signed professional terms in July 2005.
He made his first-team debut as a half-time substitute in a 4-1 defeat by Wycombe Wanderers in September 2005 and became an established player in the back-four, making 60 league appearances in three seasons and featuring in cup upsets at Sheffield Wednesday and Scunthorpe United in 2006-07.
In November 2006, Williams agreed a new contract keeping him at Wrexham until 2009.
At the end of the 2009-10, he was released from the Racecourse, having made 132 competitive appearances for the club.
July 2010 saw Williams recruited by fellow Conference Premier outfit Kidderminster Harriers, where he spent three years before a switch to Conference North side Altrincham in 2013. He helped secure them promotion to the Conference via the play-offs in 2013-14.
Mike was forced to retire in November 2014, at the age of 28, after being diagnosed with osteoarthritis in both hips, but he battled back to extend his career in the Welsh system.
Internationally, Williams has represented Wales at under-19, U-21 and semi-professional level.
He made his Wales U21 debut against Northern Ireland in February 2006 and went on to win 13 caps for his country alongside players like Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey, scoring two goals.
Williams grabbed the winner on his second cap against Cyprus U21 in May 2006. He previously featured seven times for the U-19’s, netting once.
On 8 September 2009, he made his debut for the Wales semi-professional side during a 2-1 defeat to Poland.
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