Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard considers one transfer from the Jürgen Klopp era to be a particularly far-reaching mistake by the Reds.
Steven Gerrard still cannot understand why Liverpool let Neco Williams join Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2022 for around €20 million. Working as a pundit for TNT Sports during Saturday’s Premier League clash between Liverpool and Nottingham, the former captain was full of praise for the ex-Liverpool player’s development. In his view, Williams is exactly the kind of player any top club would want.
“This player trains exactly the way he plays. He comes to training every morning and does everything right. He is extremely professional and a real winner. He is very aggressive, enormously ambitious and competitive. We already knew about his talent,” Gerrard said. He coached in Liverpool’s academy from 2017 to 2018 and knows Williams very well.
Steven Gerrard regrets loss of Neco Williams: “Liverpool should have kept him”
For Gerrard, Williams is still nowhere near his ceiling. “If you combine his talent with all these attributes, you can play at this level in the Premier League – and also hold your own at this level in the long term,” explained the former England international.
His verdict was clear: “For me, he is an outstanding full-back. And I’m really not just saying that – and I want to apologise to the Nottingham Forest fans: Liverpool should definitely have kept him in my opinion.”
Liverpool’s academy developed Williams and he made his first-team debut under Klopp in 2020. Strong competition stopped the Welshman from establishing himself as a regular at Anfield. He first joined Fulham on loan in January 2022 before Liverpool made the separation permanent a few months later.
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Getty ImagesNeco Williams made 33 appearances for Liverpool
At Nottingham Forest, Williams quickly found a much bigger role and established himself as a regular starter. He made only 33 competitive appearances for Liverpool in total. With Forest, he reached the Europa League semi-finals in 2026 but missed out on a place in the final.
Saturday brought a reunion with his former club, with Williams on the pitch for Nottingham against Liverpool. For the Reds, Milos Kerkez played at left-back but did not have an outstanding day.
Although Williams is under contract at Nottingham until 2029, rumours over a possible departure continue. The 25-year-old has been linked with Tottenham Hotspur, but wants no part of it: “I’m focusing on where I am today – and that’s Forest. There’s nothing more I can do,” he told TNT Sports.