Athletic Bilbao player Inaki Williams missed the side’s La Liga match against Celta Vigo on Sunday which brought an end to his streak of 251 consecutive appearances in the Spanish league.
This was the first time in seven years that Williams missed a La Liga match for Bilbao. The last match Williams was not a part of the starting lineup was in April 2016 when Bilbao lost 0-1 to Atletico Madrid.
The 28-year-old Ghanaian international striker is set to be sidelined due to “physical discomfort”, according to Athletic Bilbao coach.
Williams was a part of the squad announced to face Celta Vigo. However, the team confirmed on social media platform Twitter that the striker was unavailable due to an injury after the starting lineup was released.
In 2022/23, Williams has made 18 appearances in La Liga and scored five goals and assisted one. Overall in 290 appearances in Spain’s top flight, Williams has scored 59 goals and assisted another 41.
Williams broke the previous record for most consecutive appearances in October 2021, eclipsing the 202 made by Real Soceidad’s Juanan Larranaga. He has now finished his run at a grand total of 251 matches in a row – an incredible feat that will surely stand the test of time.
🔚 @Williaaams45's incredible run of consecutive @LaLigaEN appearances comes to an end.
— Athletic Club (@Athletic_en) January 29, 2023
20/04/2016 until 22/01/2023.
2️⃣5️⃣1️⃣ matches in a row.#CeltaAthletic #AthleticClub 🦁 pic.twitter.com/d5WrVSugm6
