Athletic Bilbao manager Ernesto Valverde has opened up on how Ghana international Inaki Williams is important to the club despite his age.
The 31-year-old striker has been hailed by his boss after delivering a masterclass performance for Athletic Bilbao against Levante in the La Liga last weekend.
Valverde made this known in a post-game interview after Williams provided two assists in Bilbao’s 4-2 win over Levante in the Spanish La Liga.
Before the fixture, Williams had powered the San Mames Stadium outfit to the Copa de Rey semis with a late winner against Valencia.
Bilbao take on Real Sociedad in the Spanish Cup semifinals on Wednesday, February 11 and Valverde believes having Black Stars player Inaki Williams perform well helps the club a lot.
“We hope the goal (he scored) the other day, today’s performance, will encourage him.” Valverde said.
“It’s the drive, it’s the heart that Inaki has that’s what has always driven us because…he’s always a player who persists a lot and that makes us produce a lot”
Williams missed two months of action including Ghana’s qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup to an abductor injury earlier this season.
