Marvin Williams (footballer)

Millwall

Williams began his career at Millwall as a trainee, and progressed through the club's youth system. Ahead of the 2005–06 season, Williams was assigned the number 32 shirt. He made his first-team debut for the club in December 2005, coming on as a late substitute for Jermaine Wright in a 1–0 loss away to Coventry City. Williams featured as a second-half substitute in matches against Leicester City, Watford and Brighton & Hove Albion respectively. In Millwall's following game, he scored the winner in a 2–1 home victory against Derby County, controlling David Livermore's pass before beating Lee Camp. Five days later, Williams signed his first professional contract with the club, signing the contract just hours before Millwall's FA Cup tie against Premier League side Everton. Williams subsequently made his first start against Everton, scoring just before half-time in a 1–1 draw. He scored his third goal for Millwall in the club's 2–1 win against Luton Town at The Den in March 2006. Williams' goal came in injury-time, a goal which was described as "priceless" due to Millwall's precarious league position. He went on to score in a 1–1 draw with Plymouth Argyle, as well as netting the only goal of the game in Millwall's 1–0 home win against Burnley. Williams played a total of 24 games during the 2005–06 season, scoring five times as Millwall were relegated to League One.

He started in Millwall's first game of the 2006–07 season, playing the whole game in a 1–1 draw with Yeovil Town. He scored his first goal of the campaign in August 2006, scoring with a "low shot" to give Millwall the lead against Cheltenham Town, although Millwall ended up losing the match 3–2. Williams went six months without scoring, ending his goal drought in Millwall's 2–1 away win at Oldham Athletic. After Williams was not included on the substitutes' bench in Millwall's 2–0 home win against Cheltenham Town, he requested to go out on loan in order to "start playing regular first-team football". Three days later, Williams joined Torquay United on loan in March 2007, scoring on his Torquay debut in a 3–0 home victory against Wycombe Wanderers. Williams played one further game for Torquay, a 1–0 defeat to Accrington Stanley. However, in April 2006, Millwall took advantage of the clause that stated Williams could be recalled after 28 days when it was revealed that the club's top scorer Darren Byfield would be out for the rest of the season. On his return to Millwall, Williams scored in Millwall's 2–1 win against Doncaster Rovers. In total, Williams played 31 games for Millwall during the 2006–07 season, scoring three goals. Williams played 55 times for Millwall during his two-year association with the club, scoring eight times.

Yeovil Town

In July 2007, Williams joined Yeovil Town for an undisclosed fee, signing a two-year contract with the club. On signing for Yeovil, Williams said "To be honest, Russell Slade was really persistent and was the one that really came in and pushed for me. From there I always knew that I would join Yeovil". He made his debut for Yeovil in the club's 1–0 away loss to Huddersfield Town, but was substituted after 74 minutes. Williams made just nine starting appearances for Yeovil during the 2007–08 season, and this was due to an ankle injury he sustained in training in September 2007, ruling him out for three months. He returned to first-team action in Yeovil's 2–1 home victory against Brighton & Hove Albion, coming on as a 78th-minute substitute. Williams also provided the assist for Terry Skiverton's header in Yeovil's 2–1 away win at Swansea City. Williams played 24 times for Yeovil during the season, but failed to get on the scoresheet.

Brentford

Williams joined Brentford in June 2008, signing an initial one-year contract. He joined Brentford for a nominal fee, having had a year left on his contract at Yeovil. He made his Brentford debut in the club's first game of the season, a 1–0 loss away to Bury, playing 75 minutes of the match before being substituted for Moses Ademola. A week later, Williams provided assists for Nathan Elder and Charlie MacDonald in Brentford's 4–0 win against Grimsby Town. He scored his first goal for Brentford in the club's 2–2 Football League Trophy draw with Luton Town at Kenilworth Road, a game in which Brentford were beaten on penalties. Williams scored his second goal for the club in Brentford's FA Cup tie at Conference South side Havant & Waterlooville, netting from close range. He played a total of 37 times, scoring twice, during Brentford's successful 2008–09 campaign, as the club finished as League Two champions. In May 2009, however, Williams was placed on the transfer list by Brentford manager Andy Scott. Scott said "in making Marvin available for transfer, this decision was agreed mutually as his first team chances had been somewhat limited". Despite being placed on the transfer list, Williams remained at Brentford ahead of the 2009–10 season. He featured once in the club's 1–0 home loss to Bristol City in the League Cup in August 2009. A month later, Williams left Brentford by mutual consent and signed for Torquay United on a free transfer. After just four appearances for Torquay, manager Paul Buckle announced that Williams had been released by the club in December 2009.

Östersunds FK

Williams fell foul of an FA rule which says players cannot play for more than two clubs in one season – Williams had already made one six-minute substitute appearance for Brentford and also played on loan at Torquay United during the 2009–10 campaign. Subsequently, he had to look for first-team football elsewhere. He joined Swedish Third Division side Östersunds FK in April 2010. He signed for the Swedish club after English manager Lee Makel contacted him, asking him to play for Östersunds on a short-term basis. He made his debut in Östersunds' 7–1 away win in the Swedish Cup second round against Umedalens IF. He played alongside other English players in the form of Joe Holt, Richard Offiong, and Jon Routledge during his time with Östersunds. Williams made his first league start the following week, playing the whole match in a 1–0 loss to Vasalunds IF. Williams went on to make a total of nine appearances for the Swedish side, scoring his only goal in his last game for the club, a 1–1 draw with Valsta Syrianska IK. He left the Swedish club in June 2010.

Return to England

Williams returned to England, and featured for Stevenage's reserve side in September 2010, playing in a 1–0 win against Southend United. Shortly after, Williams signed for the club on non-contract terms. He was assigned the number 22 shirt on his arrival, and made his first-team debut for Stevenage in the club's 2–0 loss to Wycombe Wanderers, coming on as a 73rd-minute substitute in the match. However, Williams left the club after just two weeks, having made one appearance for the club.

He then joined Hemel Hempstead Town in February 2011 to see out the rest of the 2010–11 season. He continued to play for Hemel until he was offered a full-time contract by Conference South side Salisbury City in November 2011. Williams scored two goals on his debut after coming on as a second-half substitute in Salisbury's 4–3 defeat to Welling United. He became an essential member of Salisbury's young squad adding another goal to his tally in a 3–0 win away at Dorchester Town. Williams scored his first ever professional hat-trick in Salisbury's 3–1 win over Sutton United, the club's last home league game of the 2011–12 season.

In May 2012, Williams signed for Eastleigh on an initial two-year contract. However, after making just eleven appearances, scoring once in a 3–0 away win against Havant & Waterlooville, he was released from his Eastleigh contract in October 2012, and subsequently signed for Sutton United. He made his debut for Sutton in the club's 2–1 victory over Truro City on 27 October 2012, playing the first 75 minutes of the match before being replaced by Paul Telfer. Williams scored his first goal for Sutton on 1 January 2013, netting from a tight angle in the club's 2–0 away victory over Bromley. Having scored just twice in his first five months at Sutton, Williams hit a rich vein of goalscoring form in April 2013. After opening the scoring in Sutton's 3–0 home win over Billericay Town on 6 April, he then scored successive braces within the space of four days, both of which coming in convincing victories. He made it five goals within a week, and six goals in five matches, as Sutton secured their sixth straight league win courtesy of a 3–1 win over AFC Hornchurch at Gander Green Lane on 20 April 2013. Just two days later, on 22 April, he scored once again, netting the only goal of the game in the first minute of the match, as Sutton defeated one of Williams' former employers, Salisbury City. Five days later, Williams scored twice as Sutton ended the 2012–13 season with a 4–0 away victory at Bath City. The two goals meant that Williams ended the season with nine goals in seven matches, with Sutton narrowly missing out on a play-off place despite winning their last eight league matches. In his first season with the club, he scored 10 times in 29 matches.

Williams joined Isthmian League Premier Division side Tonbridge Angels on loan in October 2014. His loan was later extended until the end of the 2014–15 season. Williams called time on his career after a goalscoring appearance in a 2-2 draw with Dulwich Hamlet on 25 April 2015. A persistent achilles problem forced him into retirement.

Style of play

Williams was originally deployed as a striker when he first broke into the Millwall first-team in 2006. However, towards the latter stages of the 2005–06 season he was often used as the second striker alongside Ben May, and would use his quick turn of pace to "cause opposition defences' problems". However, the following campaign, Williams was used as a winger, and this was due to his "direct nature and pace". When Williams signed for Brentford in 2008, manager Andy Scott described Williams as a "quick and direct", as well as saying "he can play wide on the right or up front – he has a lot of potential".

Personal life

Williams was born in Sydenham and educated at Addey and Stanhope School.

Honours

Career statistics