I wish we had many Iñakis at Athletic

Athletic Bilbao captain Iñaki Williams reaches 118 career goals, equalling the club record, as former coaches and teammates praise his intelligence, humility and versatility across the front line.

Iñaki Williams has reached a milestone of 118 goals for Athletic Bilbao, equalling the club's all-time record held by Carlos Ruiz, Manu Sarabia and Fernando Llorente. The 32-year-old captain scored in the recent derby against Real Sociedad and has now netted 88 times in La Liga, 17 in the Copa del Rey, 12 in Europa League and one in the Supercopa. He is chasing Fidel Uriarte's tally of 121 goals.

Gontzal Suances, Williams' first coach at Lezama's youth academy, and former teammates Iker de Eguino and others reflect on his career trajectory. Suances emphasises that Williams' success stems not just from athleticism but from his intelligence on the pitch, his ability to learn and adapt to different speeds of play across youth, reserve and first-team football. He notes Williams can play anywhere across the front line—as a winger, centre-forward or in interior channels—and praises his humility and work ethic, values shaped by his parents' journey from Ghana to Spain.

The debate at San Mamés continues over whether Williams is better as a winger or striker. Statistics show he averages 0.28 goals per 90 minutes as a nine and 0.26 as a winger, though his positional flexibility remains one of his defining qualities.