Whatever happened to the Liverpool starlet who couldn’t get a look in at Aberdeen?
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net.
Rhys Williams' six month loan stint at Aberdeen still mystifies supporters at Pittodrie to this day.
And having spent much of the last four years in the wilderness at Liverpool, the former England youth international could be set to appear for the Reds for the first time since the final day of the 2020/21 season.
The big defender was thrust into action by Jurgen Klopp during an injury crisis at Anfield and made 19 appearances in total to help Liverpool claim a third place finish in the Premier League.
Williams formed an unlikely solid partnership with Nat Phillips and it was expected that both players would pick up further minutes under Klopp in the following season.
And while Phillips - who later flopped in a short loan spell at Celtic - went on to appear eight more times for the Merseyside giants before leaving the club to join West Brom last summer, 6ft 3" centre back Phillips' has witnessed his career take a real downward turn.
Loan spells at Swansea and Blackpool yielded 24 appearances before he was brought to Pittodrie by Barry Robson in the summer of 2023, linking up with Liverpool teammate Leighton Clarkson.
Despite his lack of game time, Dons fans were excited by the signing and it was hoped that he would compete with the likes of Angus MacDonald, Slobodan Rubezic and Richard Jensen for a starting berth.
But as it turned out, Williams failed to make a single first team appearance for Aberdeen and the only glimpse that fans got to see of the Anfield youngster was in their development side in regional cup ties against Peterhead and Fraserburgh.
He only made the matchday squad on seven occasions, and following his departure in the following January the player himself later admitted that he was plagued with back issues that Robson and the Dons did not want to risk by giving him minutes.
Williams spent the whole of last season on loan at EFL League Two club Morecambe, making 33 league appearances as the team suffered relegation to the National League.
But remarkably, the 24-year-old is expected to be included in the matchday squad for Liverpool's clash with Southampton in the EFL Cup on Tuesday night.
Boss Arne Slot has already confirmed that skipper Virgil van Dijk and centre back partner Ibrahima Konate will have no involvement in the fixture at Anfield.
That leaves the Dutchman with Joe Gomez as his only recognised senior centre back, with 18-year-old Giovanni Leoni yet to make an appearance following his £26million move from Parma last month.
And Liverpool U23 manager Rob Page has revealed that defender Williams is one of several fringe players who have been training with the first team ahead of the game.
Article continues below
He said: “The first team’s schedule at the minute is intense, to say the least.
So they’ve got off to an incredible start and we’re there to support them whenever we can.
"And if that is with one eye on Tuesday, then so be it.
The manager will make that decision.
"But we’re there to support him and today there were a few players that needed to step up and it’s great.