“Liverpool should have kept him”: Gerrard praises Neco Williams after standout display vs Reds
Steven Gerrard believes Liverpool made a mistake in selling Neco Williams to Nottingham Forest in 2022.
Williams was part of the Nottingham Forest side that held Liverpool to a 2-2 draw at Anfield on Saturday lunchtime and had a bid impact on the game.
The Welshman made a brilliant recovery challenge to deny Florian Wirtz, and won a second-half penalty after being brought down by Alisson Becker in the box.
The 25-year-old has grown in stature since moving to the City Ground from Liverpool for £17m deal and was named Nottingham Forest Player of the Season in 2025/26.
Gerrard coached Williams during his time at the Liverpool academy and was full of praise for the defender's development. He believes his former team made a mistake sanctioning his sale so easily four years ago.
"Neco’s been great for Forest, I think Forest has been great for him. It’s a good match," Gerrard said to TNT Sports.
"The fans love them. He’s committed, he’s excellent out of possession, he’s physical. And he’s playing out of position at the moment.
"You’ve got to remember he’s a right-back or a right-wingback and he’s doing a fantastic job for the team on the left. Over the course of the season, he can cover both sides. So I think from a manager’s point of view you certainly wouldn’t want to lose him."
“I apologise to the Forest fans, but Liverpool should have kept him” — Gerrard’s bold verdict on Neco Williams
Expanding on what Williams was like to coach, Gerrard said the defender did 'everything right' and believes the Wales international is capable of even more.
"He deserved to play. This is a player that trains the way he plays. He comes in in the morning and does everything right. He's very professional, he's a winner. He's very aggressive, he's a competitor. We already know he's got the talent. You put everything around your talent and you can play at this level, and you can stay at this level.
"I still think he hasn't hit his ceiling yet. I still think he's of an age where he can go to the next level with experience, time, and games. He's playing out of position and doing an incredible job on the left side. Can you imagine what he'd be like on the right side?
"For me, he's a fantastic full-back. I apologise to the Forest fans, but Liverpool should have kept him."
