Ro-Shaun Williams

WHILE THE INJURIES HAVE MOUNTED FOR ROVERS SO FAR THIS SEASON, RO-SHAUN WILLIAMS HAS BEEN A CONSTANT PILLAR FOR MANAGER RICHIE WELLENS TO LEAN ON.

OUR SEASON HAS TO START TODAY, WE WANT TO GET THAT WIN AND GIVE THE FANS SOMETHING TO SHOUT ABOUT

The 23-year-old has played every minute of every league game since arriving in the summer from fellow Sky Bet League One side Shrewsbury Town.

He has found it easy to settle in, with plenty of players at a similar age within the squad.

“I’ve settled in well to a new group, there’s plenty of new players which takes time to come together but we are improving,” he says.

“We’ve become a tight squad in a short space of time, and we’ve had to be patient to have everybody on the training pitch at the same time.

“There are a few lads who’ve had similar backgrounds to me and are from the same area so we’ve all been helping each other out.

“The changing room is a good place to be, each individual has their own goals but we want to go in the right direction as a team as well.

“In all the games we’ve played we’ve been well in them, it’s just been small margins that have gone against us.

“Whether that be decisions going against us, or missed chances we know we have to learn from those.”

After coming through the ranks at Premier League side Manchester United, Williams got as far as being on the bench for the first-team before heading for pastures new.

Having reached a stage in his development where he needed to play games, and with his opportunities at the Red Devils limited, he signed for Shrewsbury Town in January 2019.

Williams feels the training sessions he had at Carrington in his younger days have stood him in good stead, and showed him the levels he needs to reach on a day-to-day basis.

“Probably for about 18 months I was training with the firstteam most days, going on pre-season tours and being on the bench a few times,” he says.

“You just know when you get to a certain point that you’re probably not going to play for the first-team.

“It’s difficult accepting that you’re not quite at the level to be at Manchester United, but I knew I had to find an opportunity for myself.

“I wanted to get out and gain some experience to start my own path, now the test for me is working hard to play at the best level I can.

“I’ve seen some top professionals at the club, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is probably the best I’ve seen in terms of the way he looks after himself.

“That is why he’s played at the top for so long and why he is continuing to push himself.”

Another product of the United Academy who has been in the news over the past year is Marcus Rashford, a close friend of Ro-Shaun’s.

The pair often meet for food away from football, as a chance to catch-up now they have gone their separate ways within the game. He is proud to see his friend doing so much good off the pitch too, after the Manchester-born star drew on his own experience of childhood poverty to raise millions of pounds for food charities during the pandemic.

“Marcus is a good friend of mine and we’ve known each other for a long time. We played for the same local team and came through the Academy together,” says Williams.

“All of the stuff he’s doing off the field is really good, it shows the type of guy he is and how humble he is too.

“We’ve both got busy schedules, but we do still see each other now and again, obviously I’m here now and he’s working his way back from injury.

“When we both have the chance, we’ll probably go to one another’s house and go for dinner, but we’re constantly talking on the phone.

“He is somebody who wants to look after people and make them happy, that is the reason he’s done all the things he has.

“You see a lot of footballers at that level getting bad press, but he is on the front pages for all the right reasons.”

Continuity in team selection has played its part in Rovers struggling to build momentum in the early part of the campaign, with Williams himself already having a handful of defensive partners at the heart of the backline.

He is still finding his way in a new team while being tasked with the responsibility of being the senior man in a young centre-back pairing in the absence of skipper Tom Anderson.

He believes that with players returning and a busy schedule coming up, fortunes will turn and points will come.

“It’s been difficult, I’ve had a few partners in the defence so far this season and I’ve had to take on that senior role despite being quite young myself,” he adds.

“I enjoy playing with Tom and learning from him because of his experience, I need to work on having those leadership qualities too.

“It’s been a battle because of the injuries we’ve had throughout the team but we know once we have a run with a fully fit squad we will put a run together.

“We need to pick up points on Saturday, we’ve come up against a lot of the top teams already but these games at home are key.

“Our season has to start today, we want to get that win and give the fans something to shout about.

“It would take the weight off everyone’s shoulders and give us confidence going into the next game.”