Liverpool's Neco Williams wants his loan spell at Fulham to end on a proper high by clinching the Championship title.
The defender joined the Cottagers for the second half of the season and has played his part in helping them secure an immediate promotion back to the top flight.
He has made 13 appearances so far, scoring two goals, with Marco Silva's side guaranteed a spot in the Premier League next term. Williams and his teammates are now desperate to clinch the second tier title - a feat they could achieve on Tuesday night if results go their way. Williams had established himself in the Liverpool first team set-up prior to agreeing to the loan move and has thoroughly enjoyed the experience at Fulham.
"Right now, I just want to play football week in and week out. I want to play as much as possible and gain as much experience as possible, and so far it has definitely helped me. I’ve improved as a player and getting promoted is a nice one to put on the CV!
"I’ve won the Premier League and hopefully I can go on to win the Championship now. I have gained a lot of experience in a short amount of time. I've gone from starting a Champions League game against AC Milan and beating them 2-1 to playing Barnsley. So I have gained quite a lot of valuable and varied experience at such a young age."
Williams also opened up on how he remains in contact with his parent club.
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Speaking at a free McDonald's Fun Football session in his role as ambassador, Williams said: "I’m in contact with the younger lads at Liverpool so when they see me scoring they send me little jokes - we have a bit of banter, as I’m not known for scoring. One of the assistant coaches also text me congratulating me on the promotion with Fulham, which was nice."
Williams will return to Anfield in the summer all the better for his experience with the Cottagers.
With regards what it was like first breaking into the first team, he revealed the calming influence of Jurgen Klopp was crucial before his debut.
"A few days before we started doing shape work I seemed to be in the starting 11 in that shape work. So, I had an idea but no one told me that I was starting and I was just thinking to myself ‘this can't be true’.
"Then Klopp came up to me and said 'you’re starting tomorrow'. Before the game he gave me a little pep talk saying ‘Listen, don't worry about it. You'll probably be nervous but that will stop when that whistle goes, and you'll be completely fine’. And that's exactly what happened as soon as that whistle goes you just completely focus on the game. Obviously, he is one of the best managers in the world. You see it now with what Liverpool are doing and what he’s done with players to transform them into who they are now.
"With the players he has bought in and how he has improved those players is phenomenal and he’s the best coach I have ever worked with."
Liverpool's plans for Williams next season are unclear at this stage, but the Wales international - who has a World Cup play-off against either Scotland or Ukraine to look forward to in June - is adamant he wants to be playing regularly at the highest level.
"It’s been a great loan, but I’ll be going back to Liverpool in the summer, feeling like a more mature player and definitely an improved player," he added.
"One-hundred per cent I want to be a Premier League player. For me, I think it's the best and the toughest league in the world. And you always want to be playing against the best players in the world, you always want to play in the best league in the world."
* To give your child their grassroots debut and for the latest information about McDonald’s Fun Football sessions which provide free football for children aged 5-11, visit McDonalds.com/Football and follow @FunFootballUK on Twitter and Instagram.
