Reading Born in
Reading, Williams started his career with
Reading, making his first appearance in the
1991–92 season. This first spell at Reading saw him established as a firm fan favourite. His talent and youth saw him play in every position for The Royals, from centre-forward to emergency goalkeeper, wearing every shirt number from 1–11, plus both substitute numbers 12 and 14, in the process. He was a regular in the side that missed out on promotion to the
Premier League, eventually losing to
Bolton Wanderers in the
1994–95 First Division play-off final at
Wembley. Williams had scored the second goal in that game, giving them a 2–0 lead in the first half, before two late goals saw Bolton draw level and force extra time, going on to win the game 4–3 and seal a place in the Premier League – a level at which Williams would ultimately never play.
Wolverhampton Wanderers In 1996, he was signed by
Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he remained until the
1999–2000 season. His time at
Molineux was largely interrupted by injury; he made just 36 appearances in over three seasons.
Return to Reading He returned to Reading during the 1999–2000 season and played a crucial part in their rejuvenation under
Alan Pardew and their promotion back to the First Division in
2001–02. In a vote to compile the Royals' best-ever eleven, Williams was voted the best centre-back with 59.9% of the vote.
Coventry City Despite being a firm favourite at the
Madejski Stadium he chose to move to
Championship rivals
Coventry City on a free transfer in Autumn 2004, having been refused the contract he wanted with Reading. Signed by
Peter Reid to replace
Calum Davenport and
Muhamed Konjić, Williams went on to make 23 appearances in League and Cup, scoring goals in a 2–1 win at
Millmoor against
Rotherham United, and a 2–1 home defeat by
Queens Park Rangers. He started the
2005–06 season out of the Sky Blues side and joined struggling
Millwall on loan for three months. Following the end of this loan spell, Williams returned to the Coventry side for the home game against his old club Wolves on 2 January 2006, playing a key defensive role in a 2–0 home win. This performance, and other similar performances put him right back in the first team picture at the
Ricoh Arena.
Swindon Town Williams joined
Swindon Town in the summer of 2006, and following the resignation of
Dave Tuttle as caretaker manager, Williams briefly held that position himself until the appointment of
Paul Sturrock on 7 November 2006. On 3 May 2008, he decided that the game against Millwall would be his last, ending his 19-year career span, although ultimately he was not selected on the day.
Weston-super-Mare Williams joined
Weston-super-Mare in June 2009. ==International career==