Inaki Williams: A Life Shaped by His Parents’ Courage and Resilience

This is the incredible story of Inaki Williams, a footballer whose parents endured a harrowing journey for a better life. Before Inaki was born, his parents, Maria and Felix, were desperate to leave Ghana and reach Spain. However, they fell victim to human traffickers who abandoned them in the middle of the hot Sahara desert.

Preamble:

Inaki’s parents faced unimaginable hardships, suffering from starvation and walking barefoot on the scorching sands of the Sahara. They encountered robberies and, tragically, witnessed others perish in the desert. As they continued their perilous journey to Europe, Maria and Felix were arrested while trying to climb the border fence in Melilla, Spain.

In a shocking turn of events, Maria discovered she was several months pregnant with Inaki during this time, leading her to deeply regret the entire journey. Just when hope seemed lost, a kind-hearted individual from a Catholic relief organization, Caritas, came to their rescue.

This lawyer, whose name they never got, advised them to destroy their Ghanaian documents and claim they were from war-torn Liberia. This strategy miraculously worked, granting Inaki Williams’ parents the right to asylum in Spain. Despite never being able to thank him, his intervention changed their lives and allowed them to start anew.

Today, Inaki Williams’ story is not just about his football career but a testament to the resilience and courage of his family, who overcame immense obstacles to provide him with the opportunities he has today.

We hope to capture your interest as you delve into Inaki Williams’ biography. To start, let’s share a photo gallery that highlights the Bilbao star’s early life and rise to success. It’s clear that Inaki has come a long way in his remarkable life journey.

Inaki Williams Childhood Story:

For starters in his Biography reading, he bears the nickname – ‘Kwaku The Traveller’. His full name is Iñaki Williams Arthuer. The Soccer Forward was born on the 15th day of June 1994 to his Mother, Maria Williams and Father, Felix Williams, in Bilbao, Spain.

Inaki Williams was born as the first child and son of his parents at Hospital de Cruces in Barakaldo, a town in the Biscay province of the Basque Country, Spain.

Williams is one of two boys (himself and a younger brother, Nico) born to the Marital Union between Felix and Maria Williams. Now, let’s introduce you to Inaki Williams’ Parents. There are the persons who once put their lives on hold so their children could have a better life.

Growing-Up:

Iñaki Williams spent the bulk of his early childhood years alongside his younger brother, Nico. From the onset, he has been Nico’s mirror, someone who knows his little brother more than anyone else.

In fact, the Bilbao male siblings never get old at reflecting on their unending brotherhood love in this nostalgic photo. Because their Dad (Felix) was always away in London for work, young Inaki became almost like a father to his younger brother, Nico.

Inaki Williams Early Life:

From a very young age, the Ghanaian Forward began his relationship with football. The Spanish-born star of Ghanaian descent grew up to be a devout fan of his hometown club, Athletic Bilbao.

Back then, Inaki Williams’ parents had their home close to Pamplona’s soccer field, and that positively enhanced his passion for the beautiful game.

Thanks to a neighbour who was four years older than him, young Inaki got uninterrupted hours with every soccer activity. This kid called Xabi often called Inaki down the street to play when he was aged four or five.

Whether at his childhood home or on the field, young Inaki was always wearing his Bilbao soccer kits. This jersey set came as a gift from a good samaritan who helped his parents settle in Spain (at the time they arrived from Accra, Ghana).

Although he has always had a mighty soccer ambition, it wasn’t easy (at first) to get into a big team like Athletic Bilbao. Inaki’s first team was the Club Natation, also known as Natación Pamplona. Before we tell you how he progressed in his youth career, let’s unveil facts about his parents and their emotional history.

Inaki Williams Family Background:

In this Biography section, we’ll tell his parents’ remarkable journey from Accra (Ghana) to Spain. The decision to leave Ghana’s capital started after Felix and Maria’s marriage. It also happened during the Liberian Civil War (after the attack on Monrovia).

Inaki Williams’ parents initially had hoped to travel to the United Kingdom through the cheapest possible means. Days later, a friend of Felix (his Dad) advised that it would cost them just a few hundred dollars to get to Spain. Looking at the cheaper option, Felix and Maria agreed and began saving up for it.

Following their decision, Inaki’s parents paid the Traffickers behind the cheap Spain travel. On the day of the movement, they found themselves following a set of migrants who were on a similar course – on their way to Europe.

Felix and Maria departed Ghana to journey through the Sahara Desert. At some point inside the desert, the car that took Inaki Williams’ parents told them the journey was over and made them get out of the vehicle. Felix and Maria were stunned by the fact that they had been cheated.

Survival:

At some point (while in the desert), Inaki Williams parents were without food or water. In order not to die of taste and hunger, Felix and Maria had to drink their own urine. Doing that send signals to their brain to reduce hunger. Their urine helped to take up space in the stomach, leading to a feeling of fullness.

In the hot Sahara desert, some persons died out of starvation. It could have been Maria or Felix, but they stood still. In cases where there was no means to transport themself in the desert, Inaki Williams’ parents used their bare feet to walk on the Sahara sand of 45 to 50 degrees. That caused injuries to Felix’s feet, who was without shoes at some point.

Sometimes luck would come in the desert, and the couple would find a truck with an open back. There were always at least 40 people packed inside those trucks with no back cover. Because of a lack of safety precautions, migrants accidentally fell from the truck. And in most cases, these persons were left behind by the driver.

The truth is, it was always too dangerous for those trucks (who move at very fast speeds) to stop in that dusty and dangerous environment. There were many thieves waiting on the way to attack migrants moving to North Africa – especially those whose trucks stopped along the way. Again, there were cases where women/girls got raped and were made to suffer all sorts of maltreatment.

Getting arrested by the Spanish Civil Guard:

When Inaki Williams’ parents reached Melilla (an autonomous city of Spain), one thing came to their minds – to climb the fence. Unfortunately, climbing the fence of Melilla proved unsuccessful. Inaki Williams parents were among those caught, arrested and imprisoned by the Spanish Civil Guard.

During all of these bad events, Maria Williams was already pregnant for Inaki, and she never knew it. When she found out about her pregnancy, she began to regret the idea of leaving Ghana in the first place. Sadly, she lamented bitterly while she and Felix were in jail following their arrest.

Getting help from a good Samaritan:

When Felix and Maria were in jail, a lawyer from the Catholic aid organization (Caritas Internationalis) who spoke only in English gave them some advice. He told Inaki Williams’ parents the things they should say when their judgement begins. In the lawyers’ words,

‘The only thing you should tell them is thay you’re from a country at war, Liberia.’

Because of this advice, Inaki Williams’ parents sought an excuse from the civil Guards to get their belongings. Luckily, the couple found a way to tear up their Ghanaian papers. On the day of the hearing, Felix and Maria did as the lawyer advised. They told the judge they were from war-torn Liberia and needed political asylum from the Spanish government.

Thankfully, the Lawyer’s advice paid off, and Inaki Williams parents got what they wanted. In no time, they arrived at Spain’s mainland from Melilla (the country’s north African enclave). To Felix and Maria’s biggest regret, they forgot to ask for the name of the lawyer who advised them on what to say. Let alone have the contact of the good samaritan from Caritas.

Settling in Spain:

Upon reaching the mainland of Spain, Maria and Felix moved to Pamplona. Maria and Felix found a home in a community with many hardworking migrants and people of different African racial backgrounds.

This home was in the form of a boarding house and was provided free of charge by a man whom we’ll tell you about in the next paragraph.

While at Pamplona, Maria and Felix got Pastoral care from a young Catholic priest named Iñaki Mardones. This is the man who first helped them settle in Spain after their difficult journey.

Do you know?… It was through this Catholic priest (pictured below) that Inaki Williams got his name. Reverend Father Iñaki Mardones ran a missionary who took care of Africans in need.

Maria gave birth at last:

Reverend Father Iñaki Mardones took a special interest in caring for the Williams family. Since Maria didn’t have a health card, he paid a medical personnel to help monitor her seven months pregnancy. Father Mardones’ Catholic church also provided clothes, food and other essential items.

Shortly after, precisely on the 15th day of June 1994, Maria and Felix welcomed their first child to the world. Iñaki Williams Arthuer was born at the Basurto hospital in Bilbao, Spain.

To show how grateful Maria and Felix are to their helper (Father Iñaki Mardones), they decided to name their newly born son Iñaki, after Reverend Father Iñaki Mardones.

When compared to other migrants, the lives of Maria, Felix and baby Iniaki were far better off. After an initial stay in a boarding house, Father Iñaki Mardones provided them with a Caritas flat (free of charge). The support of this great man didn’t end there, as he did more.

The ever-loving Catholic Priest became Inaki Williams’ godfather and, more importantly, their family’s guardian. He watched his godson grow to become a toddler, and he was the man who laid the foundation of Inaki Williams’ career after he bought him an Athletic Bilbao jersey.

Inaki Williams Parents’ occupation:

Having emigrated to Spain, his Dad, Felix, found work first as a Shepherd (on a farm) while living in the Navarran town of Sesma.

While he worked as a Sheperd, Mr Williams was willing to do any job people would reject. As time passed, Inaki’s Dad became a cleaner on a building site. After a few years in Spain, Felix Williams decided to move (without his family) to London.

While in London, he first worked at a shopping centre near Chelsea FC. Moving on to find better jobs, Inaki Williams’ Dad got employed by Chelsea FC to clean tables in the food halls. Next, Felix also worked as a security guard and also someone who managed tickets for football fans at Stamford Bridge.

Maria Williams:

While her husband worked in London, she stayed back and took care of their little son in Spain. At this time, little Inaki, who was already growing, had taken a likeness to football. He always loved to wear the Athletic Bilbao jersey, which came to him as a gift from Reverend Father Mardones.

Because it was cheaper to live in Spain, she stayed back and found a job. Maria Williams first found a part-time job in Pamplona.

At some point, Inaki had multiple jobs (three at once). She took care of her kids while her husband (who often visited) stayed back in London for almost a decade. Now, here is a video that explains more of their story.

Inaki Williams Family Origin:

Although he has Spanish nationality, it is already known that the Bilbao Athlete has West African origins. Starting with Maria Williams (Inaki’s Mum), she has Liberian family origins.

On the other hand, Felix Williams (Inaki’s Dad) hails from Tema, Ghana. Here is a map that portrays where Inaki Williams’ Parents come from.

The journey to identifying his roots:

In June of 2022, the Williams brothers (Inaki and Nico) took advantage of the holidays to visit their father’s land, Ghana. One of the essences of visiting the country their parents fled from was to connect to their past.

He and Nico were accompanied by Patricia Morales, who is Inaki’s girlfriend. Watch the Williams journey to Ghana here.

The Athletic footballers travelled to Tema, where their father (Felix) comes from. This is a settlement of 209,000 inhabitants located in the east of Accra. While there, Inaki and Nico had an emotional visit to the very place his parents lived before making that perilous journey to Spain.

Upon reaching Ghana, the Athletic footballers did not forget to familiarize themselves with the bunch of cousins ​​and uncles who awaited them in the land of their ancestors. For Inaki, it was truly emotional to see the places and environment his parents had only told him stories about.

Getting Grandfather’s blessings:

The Williams brothers made it a point of duty to embrace many distant relatives, cousins, nephews, aunts, uncles, etc. More importantly for the brothers, getting their grandfather’s blessing was deemed mandatory. The prayers and blessings from their 90-year-old grandfather came in abundance.

Inaki Williams once disclosed what his 90-year-old grandfather said to him. After giving him ancestral blessings, the happy granddad told his grandson (Inaki) that he would die in peace on the day he sees Inaki wear the Ghana national team jersey. On the day, he would see his celebrity grandson play for the Ghanaian national team.

Inaki Williams Ethnicity:

Because he is a Spanish citizen of Sub-Saharan African descent, the Athletic Bilbao Forward belongs to the Afro-Spaniard ethnic group. Aside from the Williams brothers, there are other famous football Afro-Spaniards. They include the likes of Ilaix Moriba (CM), Ansu Fati and Adama Traore.

Inaki Williams Education:

When he was old enough to start going to school, his parents decided to relocate to the Pamplona neighbourhood of Rochapea. At that time, Felix and Maria had begun to live their lives independently. While there, the Athletic Club Forward had his elementary and primary schooling.

Inaki Williams’ education came at a very difficult time for his parents. He schooled at a time when his whole family endured hardship. Among all the sufferings, let’s tell you one of the moments that stuck with him the most – which is similar to the story of Romelu Lukaku.

One day, Inaki and his little brother (Nico) returned to school to find their Mum in a hurry to get to work. Maria left the children’s launch half-cooked, instructing Inaki to heat it up. When she left, Inaki went on to heat up the food. Just before he started doing it, the house’s electricity got cut off.

Truth be told, eating the half-cooked food with his little brother (Nico) hit Inaki hard. At that time, his parents (despite working hard) didn’t have money to afford constant electricity in their home. Such unforgettable moments motivated Inaki to vow to use his soccer talent to save his family situation.

Inaki Williams Biography – Football Story:

The earliest signs of his future came when he had a soccer ball as a gift. Inaki began to kick it as soon as he could walk. It happened during Inaki’s first few months of his life at Bilbao, his birthplace. At the age of six, the youngster took his first childhood steps as a soccer kid with Club Natación Pamplona – his first football club.

Inaki Williams was a likeable child figure. Javier Serrano, his first coach, understood his family situation and was willing to help out financially. This good man was responsible for buying Inaki Williams’ team tracksuit. Javier Serrano looked after him like he was his son.

As a young footballer, Inaki tried out other sporting activities. First, he was determined to make a career out of swimming. After some time, Inaki Williams abandoned his swimming activity to take up the job of being a young football referee. Yes, you got that right! He was a referee during his childhood.

Do you know?… Iñaki earned as much as 25 euros per day as a referee. He would sometimes officiate his little brother’s matches. Inaki Williams, who was willing to help his mother, gave part of his referee salary earnings to her. Maria and Felix were so proud of their little son’s hard work and bravery.

Journey to Fame:

The youngster (who did kids’ referee job) enjoyed soccer at Club Natación Pamplona until the age of 14. In 2008, Inaki Williams progressed to Club Deportivo Pamplona, a bigger Spanish sports club based in Pamplona.

While playing for the Rochapea neighbourhood academy, Inaki had tremendous success. Luckily, he got spotted by football scouts from Athletic Bilbao. These scouts pushed for Bilbao to sign him to their youth setup at Lezama.

In 2014, Inaki became more hungrier for success and was very determined to get his family out of their poverty situation. The boy pushed himself very hard while he was at the Athletic’s Juvenile División. That led to him scoring 35 goals in three junior competitions.

Inaki Williams’ goals helped his team reach the final of the Copa del Rey Juvenil in 2013. That gave him huge popularity, a feat that got him selected to participate in the NextGen Series, a European football club cup competition for under-19 footballers. Top Atletic Bilbao talents like Kepa Arizabalaga and Aymeric Laporte joined him.

Inaki Williams Biography – The Rise to Fame Story:

In the 2014-2015 season, Atletic Bilbao’s coach (Ernesto Valverde) found two reasons to promote him. First, Inaki Williams had just scored two hat-tricks with the Bilbao Athletic Reserves team. Secondly, the boy was seen as the best Striker the club had witnessed in recent years.

Inaki Williams waited for his opportunity to cement his position on the first team. That blessed day came on the 17th of April 2016, when his teammate, Yuri Berchiche, injured his left ankle. Since then, as whole six years passed without Inaki Williams starting an Athletic Bilbao match.

The most amazing thing is that the Athletic Bilbao Legend never had a suspension or injury within those five and a half years of continuous football. In fact, all managers who have arrived at the club during the seasons have all trusted and started him in matches.

A supernatural footballer:

Every doctor and physio who has examined Inaki’s body says it’s incredible. Even the bodies of Cesar Azpilicueta and Cristiano Ronaldo could not match the continuous energy Williams’ body emits. In fact, Medical experts said it’s impossible to have another kind of Inaki in football.

The Athletic Bilbao Forward didn’t just stay injury free for these years. Inaki Williams also became Spain’s fastest player with a record speed of 35.4 KPH. Gareth Bale later surpassed this record. Again, the Baller became the first black professional footballer to score a goal in Athletic Bilbao’s 117-year history.

After featuring in 203 consecutive matches, Inaki’s teammates (Unai Simón and others) celebrated him like they’d won a trophy. As noticed here, there was no proper way for his teammates to show appreciation to the Athletic Bilbao Legend. It is hard to see football teammates lifting their own players like this just after a match.

In 2018, the footballer had numerous offers from England but decided to remain loyal to Athletic. Inaki renewed his contract until 2028, making him the highest-paid player in the squad. This new contract had a release or termination clause of 135 million euros.

On 17 April 2022, Inaki shocked the world as he extended his LaLiga consecutive games to 224. Since April 2016, he hasn’t missed a single match either due to sickness, a physical problem or a sanction. The Baller, who is also known to be a great goal scorer (his 72 goals video is shown below), said the words;

 “Until I reach 300 consecutive games, I will not stop. I’m from Bilbao!”

Achieving Destiny with Brother:

When he reached 203 consecutive appearances, Inaki broke the record set by Juan Antonio Larrañaga of Real Sociedad between 1986 and 1992. In addition to the six years of continuous football, Inaki achieved the dream of playing together with the little brother he once babysat. Inaki and Nico both made history for the Athletic Club.

Both Williams brothers met for the first time in the first team on the 28th of April, 2021. For their parents (Felix and Maria), there is absolutely nothing that’ll make them imagine (almost three decades ago) that they could live a life of football riches. Let alone having their two sons become recognized Superstars in their clubs and countries.

For Inaki and Nico, hearing their parents’ stories motivates makes them to fight even harder. They have both vowed to give back everything their parents sacrificed for them. The rest of this Inaki Williams Biography, as we say, is now history. Now, let’s tell you about the Bilbao Forward’s Love Life.

Patricia Morales – Inaki Williams’ Girlfriend:

Behind every successful football Spanish-born footballer comes a glamorous lover. In the case of a record-breaking Inaki, there is a glamorous girlfriend who goes by the name Patricia Morales. Now, let’s introduce you to the incoming wife of Ghana’s Newly-minted Forward.

Who is Patricia Morales?

According to what her Instagram handle suggests, Inaki Williams’ girlfriend is a travel blogger. Patricia Morales loves to explore places, and we are not surprised that she (in 2022) accompanied her boyfriend to Ghana. From what it seems, Inaki’s girlfriend is a selfless person who loves to be around kids.

Personal Life:

Who is Inaki Williams?

First things first, being born in Spain and growing up as a native of Bilbao did not mean that Inaki separated himself from his African roots. To this very day, Iñaki still feels indebted to that Caritas Internationalis Lawyer who helped his parents get political asylum – after they arrived in Spain.

Williams also feels forever indebted to Reverend Father Iñaki Mardones, the priest from Cáritas who helped his parents settle in Spain and from whom he got his Inaki name from. This Catholic priest later decided to live in an African country, where he dedicated the rest of his life to helping the low income and needy.

The love for Ghana:

As far back in 2015, Inaki’s name had sounded in the news media. The Ghanaian national team has always wanted him to form a strike partnership with Andre and Jordan Ayew. So, Inaki didn’t just travel to Ghana because the 2022 FIFA World Cup was near.

In this video below, Inaki Williams spoke about his history and vowed to defend the Ghana shirt. Since his parents told him the full story of their journey to Europe, he became this man who loved Ghana. A celebrity determined to enrich the land of his blood and ancestors through football.

Inaki Williams Car:

The Bilbao Striker loves luxurious automobiles. Inaki Williams owns a black Mercedes AMG  car. This car (valued at $118,000) comes with a V8 Biturbo 4.0 engine with no less than 850 Nm of torque and 585 horsepower.

When his parents first broke the story to him:

Once upon a time, Maria had difficulties in sparing her children the trouble of telling them the full version of her and Felix’s hard life story. Inaki Williams Mum would often lie, telling him that they arrived in Spain from Ghana by plane. According to the footballer, his Mum told him the truth when he was 19 years old, a time he had just turned a professional.

Before that age, Inaki had been desperate to find out his parents’ story. Maria and Felix could not tell it properly, as they never wanted their children to be affected by it. About the moment his Mum released the story, Inaki once gave the words;

“I was at home one day in Bilbao watching the television when something came up. My mother suddenly turned off the television and said:

‘OK Son, the moment has come for me to tell you our family story. First, I need you to Sit down and relax. At this age, I think you’re ready to hear the story of papa and me now.’

When my Mum told me her and my Dad’s full story, I was left cold. Hearing that left a deep impression.

Wow!… It was like me watching a film where my parents lived it. For a moment, I stopped to take a deep breath. I was 20 that day and was already playing professionally for Athletic Bilbao”

Inaki Williams Lifestyle:

About how he lives, he is not a celebrity footballer who displays flashy cars and makes self-satisfied talks about their wealth on social media.

From what we’ve gathered, Inaki loves a perfect holiday life. There is no excellent way to profess his love to Patricia (his wife-to-be) than in those seaside places he travels to.

Inaki Williams Family Life:

Football fans who hear her story of his parents always feel thankful for the happy ending. Here, we are talking about the ordeal Felix and María Williams went through. Let alone his Mum’s added pains of being pregnant with him. Now, let’s tell you more about them.

Inaki Williams Mother:

To this very day, Maria often gets emotional about her painful journey through the desert. It happens whenever Inaki Williams’ Mum experiences an event that brings flashes of her past. Now, let’s tell you about one particular moment that got Maria crying.

Before the COVID pandemic, the whole Williams family went on vacation to Dubai. While there, Inaki and Nico took their mother to visit the desert dunes. Upon reaching there, Maria suddenly began to cry. She told her sons that the desert reminds her of the Sahara which she crossed decades ago.

It took the effort of her two sons to make their beloved Mum cheer up and stop crying. Sometimes when Maria Williams gets angry, she swears at her children in the Ghanaian language. At that time, Nico and Inaki could not speak the Ghanaian language but only English.

Inaki Williams Father:

For many years, Felix never told his sons the source of the foot injury he sustained. Inaki never knew that his Dad’s problems with the sole of his feet came as a result of him walking barefooted on the Sahara desert sand. We are talking about sand that has a hot temperature of around 40 to 50 degrees Celsius.

Because of his decision to stay in London, Inaki and Nico never enjoyed the company of their Dad as they wanted. However, there are zero reports of a fractured relationship between the Williams brother and their Dad. Felix worked in London for a decade, which resulted in Inaki becoming a Dad to both himself and Nico.

The face of Félix and María is that of parents tremendously proud of their children. When they were both still little, their father had to go to England to look for work… until Iñaki exploded.

Like his wife Maria, Inaki’s Dad now enjoys the dividends of their labour. Gone are the days when Felix Williams would work as a shepherd, cleaner of building sites, security guard and ticker staff at Chelsea FC’s Stamford Bridge, etc. Back in the day, Mr Felix was someone who accepted any menial job, especially the ones that people rejected a lot.

Inaki Williams Grandparents:

Just like his parents (in the way they explained their journey from Ghana to Europe), we have this couple who also filled the role of historians to their grandchildren. Perhaps one of the happiest moments for Inaki Williams’ grandparents was seeing him and Nico torching base in Ghana to know their roots and receive physical blessings.

Inaki Williams’ Brother:

Nicholas, best known by the name “Nico”, have been extensively covered by us. Born on the 12th day of July 2002, he is also a Spanish professional footballer who (as of 2022) plays as a winger for Athletic Bilbao and Luis Enrique‘s Spain national team.

Untold Facts:

In the final phase of Inaki Williams’ Biography, we’ll tell you more truths you might not know about him. So, without further ado, let’s begin.

Inaki Williams Tattoo:

A view of the Spaniard’s shirtless body shows a number of body arts. Among Inaki’s tattoos, the most visible is the drawing of a lion on his right chest area, which symbolizes his courage, fearlessness, strength and bravery. There are other less visible tattoo drawings on his left chest area and hand. Also, as observed, Nico Williams appears to have zero tattoos.

A victim of Racism:

For Inaki Williams, people’s perception of his skin colour has never been a problem in his daily life. However, he recently joined the likes of Samuel Etoo and Mario Balotelli etc, who have both suffered Racism in Europe. For Inaki, it started in 2016 when he experienced an unfortunate situation in some away fields.

In August of 2016, a sector of the southern end of the El Molinón stadium used by Real Sporting de Gijón, shouted “uh, uh, uh!” against him. Their actions imitated the cry of a monkey. A similar event happened on the Espanyol pitch in January 2020.

Inaki Williams FIFA:

Even at the age of 28, the Ghanaian Forward is still blessed with an abundance of points – from a gaming perspective. Inaki is quite similar to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Karl Toko Ekambi. Despite reaching his peak, Williams remains a favourite buy to gamers who play FIFA career mode.

Inaki Williams Salary Breakdown:

Regarding how much he makes Ghanaian cedi (Gh₵), our analysis of his wages shows Gh₵ 62,232,764. This is equivalent to €5,979,200. By implication, Inaki Williams, who has a net worth of 18.5 million euros, is a multi-millionaire sportsman.

How rich is the Ghanaian Forward?

Where Inaki Williams Dad comes from, the average citizen who makes 7,160 Ghanaian Cedi monthly would need 23 years to make Inaki’s daily salary of €16,401 with Athletic Bilbao.

And where Inaki Williams Mum comes from, the average citizen who makes 71,800 LRD per month (481 Euros) would need 34 years to make the footballer’s daily wages of €16,401 with his Athletic club.

Inaki Williams Religion:

Our research shows the Spanish-born Ghanaian Striker is a devout Christian. Inaki Williams and his family members are strong Catholics. They have attended the catholic church since Father Iñaki Mardones of Caritas (the Catholic aid organisation) came into their lives.

The untold part of his mentality:

Inaki often thank his parents for the genes he possesses. To date, he doesn’t know the thing built in him that gives him that extraordinary power to defeat dragons. In Williams’ words;

I don’t know what, but I believe there’s something inside me.

Again, I would be lying if I said I haven’t played with knocks or pains.

I have played while on injections and medications because my manager and team seriously needed me.

What language can Inaki Williams Speak?

To start with, the Ghanaian Striker is fluent in speaking the Akan language. This is the native language of the Akan people of Ghana, spoken in the southern half of the country. Asides from the Akan language, Inaki is fluent in Spanish and Basque languages. However, he (in 2021) revealed he had lost fluency in speaking the English language.

EndNote:

Inaki Williams (not related to Inaki Pena Sotorres), born in Spain, is of Liberian and Ghanaian descent through his parents. Although he possesses Spanish nationality, Ghana is also his original country (the same as Kobbie Mainoo), as well as Liberia. Tema in Accra, Ghana, is Inaki Williams’ hometown.

Inaki Williams’ parents wanted a better life for their unborn kids. Because of that, they became desperate to leave Ghana for Europe. Felix and Maria decided to pay traffickers so they could travel through the Sahara Desert. Sadly, these traffickers, whom they paid lots of money to, dropped them halfway, saying, ‘The journey ends here.’

Felix and Maria, including 40 others, were abandoned in the Desert with no food or water. Some people died of hunger and starvation and were buried. In other to reach their destination, Inaki Williams’ parents had to cross the desert on barefoot. They walked barefoot across the Sahara sand of about 40 or 50 degrees.

When they reached Melilla, Felix and Maria climbed the barbed-wired fence. Doing that made the Spanish civil guard arrest and detain them. While at the detention, Maria Williams, who was pregnant, reflected heavily on her life, wishing she had never made the journey in the first place.

A lawyer whose name Inaki Williams’ parents still don’t know provided them with a lifeline opportunity to escape detention. And to reach and settle in the city where their first son was born. This lawyer is from Caritas, the Catholic aid organisation, a man that saved Felix and Maria from deportation.

Hope at last:

This unknown Lawyer advised Maria and Felix to tell the Judge during their court hearing that they were from Liberia, a country at war during that time, in 1994. Maria and Felix had to tear up their Ghanaian papers so they could leave no evidence of their Ghanaian origins.

During hearings, they told the Judge that they were both escaping a war-torn Liberia to apply for political asylum in Spain. Thanks to the above lifeline, Felix and Maria were granted Political asylum in the European country.

After they were granted political asylum, the couple met Iñaki Mardones, a Priest. It was through this Priest that Inaki got his name. Iñaki Mardones became the godfather and guardian of the footballer. The Priest also assisted Inaki’s parents with shelter and clothes that came from the church.

This Priest also ensured Maria (who was heavily pregnant) was well taken care of, even after childbirth. The Williams had food and something to wear and were far better off when compared to other persons in their situation. After staying in the church, Iñaki Williams’ parents were fortunate to get state housing in a humble, hardworking neighbourhood of Pamplona.

Fast forward to more than two and half decades later, Inaki Williams has chosen to represent Ghana. Spanish supporters harbour no hard feelings for Inaki’s decision. Together with notable players such as Oihan Sancet and Unai Simon, among others, he is regarded as a legend of Athletic Bilbao.

Appreciation Note:

Thank you for taking the time to read the story of Inaki Williams, whose story is similar to that of Samu Omorodion. We care about accuracy and fairness in our continuous quest to deliver African Football Stories. Inaki’s Bio is part of our amazing collection of the History of Ghanaian Football Players.

In the course of reading Williams’ memoir, you may find errors, commissions or corrections. Please reach out to us via comment to tell us where we should improve in our African biographical writing. We’d also like you to tell us what you think about Inaki’s career or our impressive story about him.

Aside from our write-up on Inaki Williams’ History, we’ve got other cool collections of two Ghanaian Soccer Legend’s Bio. The story of Thomas Partey, the Legendary Michael Essien, and Mohammed Salisu will interest your reading pleasure.