Port Vale have announced the signing of Liverpool defender Rhys Williams on loan for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign.
The 22-year-old drops down to League One after being recalled from a previous unsuccessful loan with Aberdeen, whom he failed to make a single senior appearance for in the first half of the season.
Despite Joel Matip's season-ending ACL injury and ongoing issues for Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kostas Tsimikas and Andrew Robertson - which have forced Joe Gomez to take up a left-back role over the winter period - Liverpool opted against reintegrating Williams into the squad for the second half of the 2023-24 term.
Instead, the Englishman will bid to revive his stalled career with Port Vale, whose manager Andy Crosby expressed confidence at Williams becoming a "popular figure" at Vale Park.
"I am absolutely delighted to welcome Rhys to Vale Park," Crosby told the official Valiants' website. "He comes into the squad and instantly enhances our defensive options with the quality that he possesses and, as a person, I am sure that he will prove to be a popular figure off the pitch too, with his personality, drive and desire to become the very best version of himself.
"This loan signing is yet another example of clubs at the elite level seeing the way that we treat the players both on and off the pitch and the way that we play as a team, and ultimately seeing Port Vale as an ideal home for their future talents' development.
"I would personally like to thank Liverpool FC for allowing us the opportunity to work with Rhys; the First Team staff and I all look forward to working closely with him for the remainder of the season."
Welcome to Vale Park, @rhyswilliams01! 💪#PVFC | #UTV pic.twitter.com/OQijrmHWKd
— Port Vale FC (@OfficialPVFC) January 16, 2024
Port Vale director of football David Flitcroft also believes that Williams can "recognise his potential" in League One after a few unsuccessful loans, adding: "Rhys comes into the club as a player with great pedigree and experience.
"Ourselves, Liverpool and Rhys alike believe that Port Vale is the right home for him and where his career at this point for him to come in and to be given a platform to recognise his potential.
"As a player, at 6ft 5in, Rhys is a committed and combative defender who enjoys to get on the ball and start defensive progressions. Rhys has a determined drive to become the very best that he can be, it makes him the perfect fit, both on and off the pitch, for Andy Crosby's team.
"I would like to thank the team at Liverpool for entrusting us with one of their highly-rated, elite talents and David Lockwood and Dave Ayres for the work that went into making this deal happen."
Williams already has 19 first-team appearances for the Reds under his belt, all of which came in the 2020-21 season, where he and Nat Phillips provided emergency cover for the injured Matip, Gomez and Virgil van Dijk.
The 22-year-old started seven Premier League games and played a crucial role in helping Liverpool achieve a top-four finish, while also playing in all six of the Reds' 2020-21 Champions League group-stage games.
Williams has not made another first-team appearance for Liverpool since, also spending time on loan with Blackpool and Swansea City, but his Reds contract still has another two-and-a-half years left to run.
Ben Knapton
