Neco Williams' brother forced to quit football at just 22 after devastating news

Keelan Williams, ex-Liverpool and Burnley academy player and younger brother of Wales international Neco, has retired from football at 22 after being diagnosed with heart failure.

Keelan Williams, the younger brother of Wales international Neco Williams, has been forced to retire from football at age 22 following a diagnosis of heart failure. Williams, who represented Liverpool and Burnley at academy level and captained Wales youth sides, was first diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve at age 15 during a routine medical with Wales Under-16s. Initially asymptomatic, he was permitted to continue playing and progressed through Liverpool's academy before joining Burnley at 16.

In late 2024, a routine medical revealed the valve leak had deteriorated significantly, requiring surgery. In January 2025, Williams underwent an operation to repair his aortic root and was fitted with a pacemaker. His recovery was complicated by sepsis, a collapsed lung and respiratory failure, resulting in an 11-day intensive care stay. A second heart operation followed in September 2025.

When Williams attempted to return to playing, he struggled with breathlessness and fatigue. Tests revealed his heart was pumping at only 37% efficiency—well below the healthy range of 50-70%. Despite medication and a pacemaker upgrade, a subsequent scan showed minimal improvement to 38%, forcing him to accept that his playing career was over. "That's when I decided that I will have to stop playing because I couldn't carry on physically with how I felt," he told the BBC.