He describes himself as Australian soccer's nearly man. "I feel I haven't really succeeded much in my career. I know it's all hindsight now, but I missed a lot of games for a lot of teams," he says. "Even with the Socceroos I feel like I could have had a bigger position, I could have been in a better place, so I think there is so much more that I feel I can achieve, and I want to do it here at Victory. "I am proud of what I have done but I almost feel like 'I almost did that, I almost went there, I almost played in two World Cups and I am sick of the almosts ... I have had a few personal accolades which is nice, but you want a team one, and that's the one thing I have missed in my career, being part of a team that's won something. That was the reason for coming here." Williams' family is steeped in soccer. His brothers Ryan and Aryn are also professionals. Born to an English father who has played and coached all his life, and an Anglo-Indian mother, he was the oldest boy in the family and the first to move to the UK.

His talent was enough for Middlesbrough to sign him as an academy player, and quickly excited the attention of international scouts from Wales, for whom he qualified through family ties. It was touch and go for a while as to whether he would play for the Dragons. He was part of an exciting Wales under-21 squad which went on to form the nucleus of the Welsh side that made the semi-finals at the Euro 2016 championship, with players such as Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsay, Sam Vokes and Joe Allen all making their mark as youngsters. Williams looks back fondly to rooming with Arsenal star Ramsay and becoming friends with Bale, but says there was really only one international choice for him. "I played with Bale, we grew up in the 21s together. I was always quite close to him. When I was on the bench for the first team for Wales I roomed with Aaron Ramsey. Their golden generation now, that was our 21s team. Bale is a top guy. I remember Ramsay coming through when he was at Cardiff. He has just kicked on, and the same with Gareth. "He [Bale] was called up to the first team a lot more, but in vital games for the 21s he came back down to us. You could see his class, he is a big, strong well-built lad, he is fast, solid and he's a really good kid, a really family orientated guy and he deserves all the success he has had.

"I have no regrets. It just didn't feel right. The under 21s was a great experience, but ultimately I am Australian, I am not Welsh. When the national anthem came on and I sat on the bench for the first team, it wasn't quite right. I knew I wanted to play for my country of birth, and I had the chance and took it with both hands when I got my debut against Japan." Williams, naturally, cannot help but reflect on what might have been, particularly at the World Cups in South Africa in 2010 and Brazil 2014. He travelled to Johannesburg with Pim Verbeek's squad and would certainly have been in the final 23. But he was battling injury throughout the lead-up, and although Verbeek delayed naming his squad until almost the final moment, Williams lost his race against time. Those who saw him holding back the tears as Verbeek broke the bad news to him will remember his devastation, but looking back now he says that disappointment was not as great as the let down he felt at not being able to even be considered for Brazil 2014, again because of injury. "I have had injuries, but it's part of the game. I am lucky in that I have got my health and my family's health. That means more to me than an injury, or missing the World Cup," Williams says.

"Yes, you get upset at the time, but you realise that there are a lot of people worse off in the world. "I was in South Africa in 2010 and I knew I was young [he was 21] and I was going to be a squad player because Lucas Neill and Craig Moore were still in the team and that I would get more chances later on if things went the way I hoped. "In 2014, it was more disappointing. I had played in Ange's first game in charge [against Costa Rica in Sydney] and he had a leadership group meeting and I was in it. I was really surprised, I had only played for 12 or 13 caps. I was excited for the future, being part of it. "But after that was another major injury. I did my Achilles in the January of 2014. I was about to leave and go to Swansea in the Premier League, or Celtic because they had also come in for me. "My house was packed and ready to go, I thought it was going to happen and two days before the transfer window closed, I ruptured my Achilles. That's part and parcel of the game, but I think everything happens for a reason so I never dwelt on it."

Williams is the sort of ball-playing defender well suited to the modern game, happy to play at the centre of the back three or four, or move into midfield. Given his previous record, it is little surprise that even at this stage he is being touted as a potential squad member for Russia 2018 should the Socceroos get past Honduras in the final World Cup eliminators in November. Williams, however, is not getting too far ahead of himself. "It's nice of people to talk about me for the Socceroos, but I have always said I need to be fit and to perform here before anything else comes up. I have only played three league games, but I played nine pre-season games. I feel good, and hopefully the boys can do the job around me and we can have a good season. "Who knows, come March, that's when the next set of games are. I have always said I need to concentrate on my club football, but if I am doing that and everything is going well here, then why not at least dream of it."

Before joining Glory last year Williams had spent his entire career in the English Championship, so he is well placed to draw a comparison between the second tier in England – widely regarded as one of the toughest leagues in the world – and the A-League. He has been surprised at how good the standard has become in Australia in such a short time. "Coming back last year I was pleasantly shocked, to be honest. Everyone boosts England and Europe to be this huge thing and Australia down below, but it's not the case, it's so competitive this league. "I would say it's a lot fitter than a lot of leagues. It's the way the game is played here – the weather is hot, the grounds are hard and there is a lot of travel required. "Even in the Championship your centre-backs have a bit of time on the ball. Here it's full on. Coming back you realise it's a very good league, it's very testing and you can see the players who have come back don't always succeed. That shows the strength of this league.

"We need to get the A-League seen as much as we can, although financially we are never going to be able to match the big leagues overseas."